Illinois Poverty Report 2007

Creating a State of Opportunity
2007 Report on Illinois Poverty
An initiative of
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge these funders for their generous financial support of the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliances economic security initiatives: The Joyce Foundation The Chicago Community Foundation The Illinois Childrens Healthcare Foundation The Grand Victoria Foundation The Mertz-Gilmore Foundation The Libra Foundation
The Illinois Poverty Summit is a project of the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights. Heartland Alliance is a service-based human rights organization that provides housing, healthcare, human services, and human rights protections to the most poor and vulnerable people in our society. This report was produced independently of the Illinois Poverty Summit Steering Committee and is intended to stimulate dialogue about anti-poverty initiatives in the state. The policy recommendations in this report have been developed by Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights and do not necessarily reflect the views of members of the Illinois Poverty Summit Steering Committee. Research: Led by Amy Terpstra with support from Curtis Jones and Amy Rynell Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance Editing: Gina Guillemette, Amy Rynell, and Amy Terpstra Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance Design and print: Graphix Products, Inc.
Suggested citation: The Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. (2007). 2007 Report on Illinois Poverty. Chicago: Illinois Poverty Summit. This report can be downloaded from http://www.heartlandalliance.org/maip/research.html 2007 Illinois Poverty Summit
Introduction
Introduction
This years report includes a new Spotlight Section Income Supports: Ensuring Basic Necessities for Low-Wage Workers and their Families. This section illustrates how low-wage work makes it difficult or near impossible for Illinois families to meet their most basic needs and presents a picture of how strong public policies can support low-wage workers in making ends meet. The Spotlight on Income Supports can be found on page 15.
his seventh annual Report on Illinois Poverty illustrates that there are many indications Illinois families are experiencing significant hardship. Over one third of Illinoisans in poverty are children, disparities in income and wealth are widening, young adults face significant obstacles to economic success, and hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans live in extreme poverty, with incomes below half the poverty line. The time has come to view the eradication of poverty as an obligation shared by all. Poverty and economic hardship deprive individuals of their human rights. Human rights are universal rights belonging to each of us by virtue of being human and are based on the notion of personal human dignity and worth. Poverty erodes a familys ability to put a roof over their head, clothe their children, and provide nutritious meals; it builds obstacles to quality education and adequate healthcare; it limits peoples chances and restricts opportunity all of which are violations of human rights. Illinois has taken important positive steps to address poverty, including increasing the minimum wage, creating the Rental Housing Support program, and expanding health insurance through the creation of the All Kids program. On the last page of the report are policy recommendations that leaders should implement in 2007 to create better paths toward economic opportunity and freedom from poverty for all Illinoisans.
Table of Contents Key Findings State Poverty Profile

Poverty Definitions State Poverty Rates State Poverty Map Midwest Poverty Comparison Major Groups in Poverty: Illinois Disability & Poverty Seniors & Poverty Children & Poverty Gender & Poverty Immigrants & Poverty
3 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 33 39 40 40 43 46 49 49 50 51
Terms used throughout the report are defined in the appendix. Also included in the appendix are data related to income, poverty, housing, health, and education for each county in Illinois as well as an explanation of the various methods used for Census Bureau data calculations.
New! Spotlight Income Supports: Ensuring Basic Necessities for Low-Wage Workers and their Families Pathways Out of Poverty
Education Employment Health Housing Nutrition Basic Necessities Assets
Working Toward Change: Rock Island County Task Force on Poverty County Well-Being Indicators Appendix
County Data Tables Income & Poverty Housing Health & Education Definitions and Data Notes Definitions Data Notes
New! 2007 Policy Recommendations
Key Findings
Economic inequality in Illinois continues to worsen.

Growing disparities in income and wealth erode Illinoisans human right to an adequate livelihood.
Cook County, Illinois has the
White
Illinois households have a
second-highest number of millionaire

households (167,873)1 and the
higher median net worth

than minority households.3
515.4%
second-highest number of poor

households (273,658) of any county in the nation.2
Net worth is the difference between assets and liabilities.
The inequality gap among American seniors has grown over the past two decades.4
DIfference In meDIAn net Worth of senIors by rAce AnD eDucAtIon
Groups 1984 2003 Percent Growth
Poor and middle-income families have seen limited economic gains in the past two decades.
Average income increases in the last 20 years in Illinois5
+$3,063 poorest fifth of families
Gap Between Black and White
$91,200
$188,700
106.9%
Gap Between Some College and No High School Diploma $167,500 Gap Between Some College and High School Diploma
$317,000
89.3%
+$8,853 middle fifth of families
$82,700
$215,500
160.6%
+$41,689 richest fifth of families
TNS Financial Services. (2006, March 28). TNS study names top ten wealthiest U.S. counties. Press Release. New York, NY: Author. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. CFED. (2007). 2005 Assets and opportunity scorecard. Retrieved November 28, 2006, from http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid=&siteid=504&id=505, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 4 Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. (2006, May). Older Americans update 2006: Key indicators of well-being. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 5 Bernstein, J., McNichol, E., & Lyons, K. (2006, January). Pulling apart: A state-by-state analysis of income trends. Washington DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities & Economic Policy Institute.
1 2 3
Key Findings
Illinois future is threatened by poverty and economic disadvantage among young adults.
Young adults are the future of Illinois workforce. However, unaddressed educational and economic disadvantages among 18 to 29 year olds jeopardize the states competitiveness in the growing regional and global economies.
status of young adults ages 18 to 29 in Illinois: More than
young Illinois adults lack health insurance,

This is nearly twice as many people as the population of Illinois second largest city, Aurora.6 leaving them vulnerable to significant hardship and debt if they experience an accident or illness.7
1 in 4
Annual Personal earnings
of young Illinois adults do not have a high school diploma hindering their competitiveness in the current and future labor markets.8
17.8%
In addition to having very low incomes, there are troubling inequalities in annual personal incomes among young Illinois adults.9
$ 20,000 $ 15,000
$11,205
$17,457
$16,697 $14,502
$ 10,000 $ 5,000 0
White, non-hispanic
black
Asian
hispanic
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2004-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid.
6 7
Key Findings
Nearly 700,000 Illinoisans struggle in extreme poverty.

Extreme poverty, living on an annual income of less than half the poverty line, results in extreme hardship for far too many Illinoisans.
An Illinois family of three in extreme poverty has a monthly income of less than $692.10 Without any assistance, the majority of the familys income can be consumed by just one basic necessity, leaving many other important needs unmet.11
150%
% of Income consumed by expense
Chicago
Other Urban
Rural
120%
$692 monthly income
90% 60% 30% 0
Housing
Childcare
Food
Transportation Healthcare
Misc.
Illinois Adults Ages 18 to 64 without health Insurance12 In extreme poverty
Illinoisans living in extreme poverty are nearly
54.5% 16.1%
three times as likely

to be living in crowded housing as people not in extreme poverty.13
not in extreme poverty
Calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. Pearce, D., & Brooks, J. (2001, December). The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Illinois. Washington DC & Chicago: Wider Opportunities for Women & Women Employed, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 12 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2005-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 13 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
10 11
Key Findings
Illinois fiscal health crisis jeopardizes the current and future economic well-being of families and communities.
The costs of current public services, such as human services, education, healthcare, and public safety rise with inflation each year. At the same time, state revenue sources do not keep pace with inflation. This results in multibillion-dollar recurring deficits that must be addressed in order to balance the budget each year.
budget shortfalls have been largely addressed by short-term and one-time fixes such as:
cutting services:
Illinois has cut aggregate spending over the last decade on public services, with the exception of education, healthcare, and the pension system, by $1.171 billion.14
underfunding Pensions:
Illinois has the greatest total unfunded pension liability in the country, meaning the state is short $42.2 billion in payments to the pension fund.15
Delaying Payments:
Illinois is more than $1 billion behind in its payments to Medicaid providers.16
the future implications of this funding gap disproportionately fall on vulnerable communities, human service providers, and families struggling to make ends meet.
Infrastructure will be Weakened:

Ongoing inadequate state funding will further erode Illinois human services delivery system and its capacity to meet the needs of vulnerable populations, placing a growing burden on communities and local providers as they attempt to bridge the gap.
Public Debt will Grow:

The amount of the state budget going to pay off debt is at an all-time high. Illinois ranks 5th among the states in debt burden per citizen at $1,835.17 Future generations will pay the price for this growing public debt through increased taxes and fewer public programs and services.
needs Will Go unmet: Issues related to the rise in working poor families, declining incomes, a changing economy, and growth in the retiree population will go unaddressed leading to even more entrenched problems in the future.
Mancini, C.A., & Martire, R. (2006, November). The Illinois pension funding problem: Why it matters. Chicago: Center for Tax and Budget Accountability. Ibid. Rich, R.F., & Elkins, C.L. (n.d.). Childrens health care in Illinois: Where are we and where are we going? In C. Herring (Ed.), The state of the state of Illinois, 2006 (pp. 70-88). Chicago: Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois. 17 Date, M. (2006, September). Illinois cannot grow its way out of fiscal problems. Budget & Tax Policy Issue Brief. Chicago: Voices for Illinois Children.
14 15 16
State Poverty Profile
Poverty rates presented here originate from various Census Bureau surveys and estimates. The use of different surveys is based on Census Bureau recommendations that certain surveys be used for certain purposes. Thus, the American Community Survey is used for point-intime state estimates and when comparing between states; the Current Population Survey is used with a 2-year floating average when comparing state data over time; and the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates are used for comparing all counties. As a result, the poverty rates vary slightly when using the recommended survey and the appropriate methodologies. For more detail on the sources, please see pages 8 and 50.
85%
of Illinois counties had increases in poverty since last years report. Nearly 1.5 million people live in poverty in the state of Illinois Illinois poor population is larger than the entire city of Philadelphia.18 Over half a million Illinois children live in poverty more children than the entire populations of 71 countries.19 Though poverty rates have stabilized nationally, people who are poor are increasingly poorer. Individuals who are poor fell an average of $3,236 below the poverty line while poor families fell an average of $8,125 below the poverty line the highest level on record.20 The data in this section reinforce the urgency for a renewed anti-poverty effort in Illinois. Leaders must initiate a concerted effort to develop comprehensive solutions that will reduce the number of people in poverty each year and that will promote the dignity and worth of the 1.5 million Illinoisans whose human rights are compromised because of poverty.
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates. NationMaster.com. (n.d.). Population by country. Retrieved December 20, 2006, from http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/peo_pop-people-population, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 20 Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2006, September 1). Poverty remains higher, and median income for non-elderly is lower, than when recession hit bottom: Poor performance unprecedented for four-year recovery period. Washington DC: Author.
18 19
Poverty Definitions
Four definitions of poverty are instructive for an analysis of well-being in Illinois. Income Poverty: as defined by the federal government using food cost as a basis. There are two slightly different versions of the federal poverty measure: the poverty thresholds and the poverty guidelines. The poverty thresholds are the original version of the federal poverty measure. They are updated each year by the Census Bureau and are used mainly for statistical purposes for instance, preparing estimates of the number of Americans in poverty each year. The poverty guidelines, also called the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), are the other version of the poverty measure. They are issued annually in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services and are a simplification of the poverty thresholds used for administrative purposes for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs.21
federal Poverty Guidelines, or 100% fPL22

size of family unit 2007 poverty guidelines 2006 poverty guidelines 2005 poverty guidelines 2004 poverty guidelines
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
$ 10,210 13,690 17,170 20,650 24,130 27,610 31,090 34,570
$ 9,800 13,200 16,600 20,000 23,400 26,800 30,200 33,600
$ 9,570 12,830 16,090 19,350 22,610 25,870 29,130 32,390
$ 9,310 12,490 15,670 18,850 22,030 25,210 28,390 31,570
Deep or extreme Poverty: defined as those people living below 50% of the federal poverty threshold. Low-Income or near Poor: as experienced by people living below 200% of the poverty threshold who often have trouble meeting their basic needs due to skyrocketing costs (e.g. rent, childcare, health insurance). Asset Poverty: defined as households without sufficient net worth to subsist at the poverty level for 3 months23 so that a crisis (such as job loss, illness, divorce) can push a household into poverty or homelessness.
21 22 23
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2006). Frequently asked questions related to the poverty guidelines and poverty. Retrieved December 21, 2006, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/faq.shtml#differences U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2007). Poverty guidelines, research, and measurement. Retrieved January 26, 2007, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml CFED. (2007). Asset poverty. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?showmeasures=1&parentid=&siteid=504&id=509&measureid=2841
State Poverty Rates

Poverty in Illinois, 200524
or 5.5% of Illinoisans are living in extreme poverty, below
681,786
1,483,873
or 12.0% of Illinoisans are living in poverty, below
50% of the federal poverty threshold.
2,453,708
or 19.8% of Illinoisans are living below
or 28.0% of Illinoisans are living near poverty, below
3,467,594
Illinois Poverty rates over time*25
30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

50% fPL 150% fPL
200% fPL
100% fPL
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
* In August 2006, the Census Bureau issued a correction to the 2004 Current Population Survey data. All corrections have been factored into current calculations and trend analyses.
24 25
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2000-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
10
State Poverty Map, All Ages in Poverty, 2004

JO DAVIESS STEPHENSON WINNEBAGO BOONE MCHENRY LAKE
26
CARROLL
OGLE DE KALB KANE DU PAGE COOK KENDALL BUREAU LA SALLE GRUNDY PUTNAM MARSHALL LIVINGSTON WOODFORD KANKAKEE WILL
WHITESIDE
LEE
ROCK ISLAND MERCER
HENRY
STARK KNOX WARREN HENDERSON PEORIA
IROQUOIS
MCDONOUGH HANCOCK
FULTON
TAZEWELL
MCLEAN
FORD
MASON SCHUYLER ADAMS BROWN CASS MENARD MACON MORGAN PIKE SCOTT CHRISTIAN GREENE CALHOUN JERSEY MADISON BOND MARION MACOUPIN MONTGOMERY FAYETTE SHELBY SANGAMON MOULTRIE LOGAN DE WITT PIATT
CHAMPAIGN
VERMILION
county Poverty rate Less than 10% 10% to 14.9% 15% or higher
DOUGLAS EDGAR COLES CLARK CUMBERLAND
EFFINGHAM
JASPER CRAWFORD
number of People in Poverty

CLINTON
14.6
WAYNE
CLAY
RICHLAND
LAWRENCE WABASH EDWARDS
5,000 to 9,999 people in poverty 10,000 to 19,999 people in poverty 20,000 or more people in poverty
ST. CLAIR WASHINGTON MONROE RANDOLPH PERRY FRANKLIN JACKSON JEFFERSON
HAMILTON
WHITE
WILLIAMSON
SALINE
GALLATIN
This is the most recent poverty rate data available for all Illinois counties. Specific rates for each county can be found on pages 36-38.
ALEXANDER
UNION
JOHNSON
POPE
HARDIN
PULASKI
MASSAC
26
U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2004.
11
Midwest Poverty Comparison
Since the Midwest states share many economic characteristics, it is instructive to view Illinois in light of its neighboring states.
Illinois Poverty and Income comparison to other midwest states
Last years report found that Illinois ranked worst in the Midwest on 15 key poverty indicators. Illinois is beginning to see its poverty-related status in the Midwest improve; however, this improvement is due as much to worsening rates in many neighboring states as it is to improvements in Illinois. the state still has work to do in moving Illinois from worst to best in the midwest.
Poverty rates27
median household Income28
best
9.2% 10.2% 10.9% 12.0% 12.2% 13.0% 13.2%
Minnesota Wisconsin Iowa Illinois Indiana Ohio Michigan Missouri
Minnesota Illinois Wisconsin Michigan Iowa Ohio Missouri Indiana
$56,084 $47,978 $47,004 $45,793 $45,086 $44,961 $44,324 $43,735
Worst
13.3%
Illinois ranks worst in the midwest on:

economic Well-being Overall poverty rate29 Extreme poverty rate30 Child poverty rate31 Rate of low-income children32 7 Earnings and job quality performance33 Employment outlook34 health Insurance rates 7 Overall rate of uninsured people35 Rate of uninsured working age adults36 7 Rate of poverty for uninsured residents37 housing Affordability 7 Most expensive rent for 2-bedroom apartment38 7 Wage needed to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent39 7 Homeownership rate40 no longer worst no longer worst no longer worst no longer worst still worst no longer worst still worst (tied with Indiana) no longer worst still worst still worst still worst still worst (tied with Ohio)
education 7 Per-pupil spending gap between low-poverty still worst and high-poverty districts41 7 Rate of children in households where the head of still worst household did not finish high school42 7 Reading and math achievement gap between still worst poor and non-poor fourth and eight graders43
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2004-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 29 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005. 30 Ibid. 31 Ibid. 32 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2004-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 33 CFED (2006). 2006 Development report card for the states. Washington DC: Author. 34 Ibid. 35 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2004-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 36 Ibid. 37 Ibid. 38 National Low Income Housing Coalition. (2006). Out of reach 2006.Washington DC: Author. 39 Ibid. 40 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005. 41 The Education Trust. (2006). Funding gaps 2006. Washington DC: Author. 42 Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2006). Kids Count state-level data online. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from http://www.aecf. org/kidscount/sld/compare.jsp?c=5 43 The Education Trust. (2005, October 19). Closing the achievement gap: 2005 NAEP reading and math results show some gains, but slowing progress. Retrieved January 4, 2007, from http://www2.edtrust.org/EdTrust/Press+Room/NAEP+2005.htm
27 28
12
Major Groups in Poverty: Illinois

Populations in Poverty 200544
Group* Population** Percent of state Population number below Poverty Percent of the Poverty Population Percent in Poverty
Illinois total Children (0-17) Working Age (18-64) Seniors (65+) White Non-Hispanic Black Asian Hispanic
* Groups may not be mutually exclusive.
12,400,389 3,191,624 7,772,612 1,436,153 8,147,977 1,791,744 507,131 1,795,322
100.0% 25.7% 62.7% 11.6% 65.7% 14.4% 4.1% 14.5%
1,483,873 524,729 831,097 128,047 595,315 502,012 41,837 318,431
35.4% 56.0% 8.6% 40.1% 33.8% 2.8% 21.5%
12.0% 16.4% 10.7% 8.9% 7.3% 28.0% 8.2% 17.7%
** Total population is the population used to calculate poverty. This exludes persons under age 15 who are not related to the head of household and those living in group quarters.
DIsAbILIty & Poverty

Illinoisans with a work-limiting disability are much more likely to be poor than those without a disability.
ILLInoIs Poverty by rAce/ethnIcIty for PeoPLe WIth DIsAbILItIes45
Group Poverty rate number in Poverty
Asian Black Hispanic White Non-Hispanic
* 44.8% 32.7% 14.3%
* 66,009 17,698 88,535
*sample size too small to calculate
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is the main government program for people with disabilities with little or no income to meet basic needs. However, Illinois average annual SSI income is $7,29446 less than the poverty line for one person and not enough to meet basic needs.
Poverty rAtes for ILLInoIsAns WIth DIsAbILItIes by AGe47
Ages 5 to 15 Ages 16 to 64 Ages 65 and over
28.9% 22.8% 12.6%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2005-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005. 47 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
44 45 46
13
senIors & Poverty

There are great disparities in income and wealth among Illinois seniors.
ILLInoIs senIor Poverty by rAce/ethnIcIty48
* 22.1% 16.1% 6.5%
* 35,246 10,905 75,756
Illinois grandparents age 60 and over who are responsible for their own grandchildren are nearly twice as likely to be poor as the general Illinois senior population.49
92.6% of Illinois senior households have Social Security income, while only 48.9% have retirement income.50
*sample size too small to calculate
chILDren & Poverty

Illinois children are particularly vulnerable to poverty; they are 53.3% more likely to be poor than working age adults.51
ILLInoIs chILD Poverty by rAce/ethnIcIty52
6.8% 38.4% 22.2% 8.2%
7,727 218,201 138,303 147,605
Rural child poverty in Illinois rose 25.9% from 1999 to 2005 while the rural child population decreased 15.5%.53
67.9% of poor Illinois children live in families that worked in the last year.54
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. Ibid. Ibid. 51 Ibid. 52 Ibid. 53 U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census 2000 & American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 54 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2005-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
48 49 50
14
GenDer & Poverty

Working age (18 to 64) Illinois women make less on average than men and are more likely to be poor.
ILLInoIs Poverty by rAce/ethnIcIty for Women & men AGes 18 to 6455
Group Women men
8.6% 27.1% 19.0% 8.3%
7.9% 18.5% 12.2% 6.1%
Illinois women working full time, year round make only 70 cents for each dollar that their male counterparts make.56
LIkeLIhooD thAt ILLInoIs Women AGe 25 AnD over WILL be Poor comPAreD to ILLInoIs men by eDucAtIonAL AttAInment In 200557
educational Attainment Likelihood of being Poor compared to men
No High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College BA Degree or Higher
64.1% 37.5% 56.1% 27.6%
ImmIGrAnts & Poverty

Immigrants in Illinois are only slightly more likely to be in poverty than their native-born counterparts.
ILLInoIs Poverty by nAtIvIty58
Immigrants and native-born people living in Illinois have the same extreme poverty rate.59
Poverty by eDucAtIon for foreIGn- AnD nAtIve-born ILLInoIsAns AGe 25 AnD over60
educational Attainment native born Poverty rate foreign born Poverty rate
Native Born Foreign Born
11.8% 13.0%
1,263,269 220,604
No High School Diploma High School Diploma Some College
23.0% 10.5% 7.8%
21.5% 15.3% 8.2% 4.3%
BA Degree or Higher 2.5%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2005-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 57 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 58 Ibid. 59 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2005-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 60 Ibid.
55 56
Spotlight Income Supports
15
Spotlight Income Supports:

Ensuring Basic Necessities for Low-Wage Workers and their Families
espite significant efforts in the labor market, many Illinois workers come up short as they struggle to make ends meet. A worker earning $8.00 an hour at a full-time job makes $16,600 annually the poverty level for a family of three. 46.2% of poor working age Illinoisans worked last year.61 Programs exist to support families in moving from poverty to economic stability and independence. These programs supplement workers low wages by providing access to essentials such as housing, healthcare, food, and childcare, which often makes the difference in whether low-wage workers can survive in tough times and whether they are able to seize opportunities to achieve self-sufficiency. A mother who has a Child Care Subsidy can take college classes to improve her career prospects because her infant will receive quality, affordable childcare. A father who receives Food Stamps after being laid off can still feed his children while he job hunts. A mother with a housing subsidy can keep her family housed as she leaves welfare to take her first job, cultivating the experience and skills that can translate into a decent wage. A worker whose children have health coverage through All Kids can take his daughter to the doctor even after he leaves the workforce due to a chronic heart condition. A mother who works all year at low wages can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and both fix her car and start a savings account with her refundable credit. The combination of adequate wages and income supports is a critical investment in supporting low-income Illinoisans. Illinois must invest in the service delivery infrastructure, protect existing income support programs, and continue to expand income supports to meet the need. The recommendations at the end of this section, if implemented, will make Illinois income supports system better equipped to help families meet their basic needs.
61
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
16
Illinois Workers Face Increased Economic Instability

Illinois families have experienced a 9.8% decrease in median income62 and growing expenses that make it difficult or near impossible to make ends meet. Illinois median household income has significantly declined: between 2000 and 2005 it The majority of new jobs through 2012 are projected to pay far below the current state median household income of $48,008.64
dropped $5,236
63
43.3%
will pay less than
62.9%
will pay less than
$23,650 $38,660
There has been a
Illinois workers are paying considerably more for health insurance premiums than they were just a few years ago.65 2004
34.9%
2000
23.4% increase
since 2000 in the proportion of Illinois renter households paying more than 30% of their income on housing costs.66
A family living in poverty with no income supports has significant gaps in their ability to meet their most basic needs money runs out well before the next paycheck comes in, but the need for a roof overhead to stay warm, groceries to curb hunger, medicine to get healthy, and a tank of gas to get to work cannot wait until next friday.67
monthly calendar
1 PAyDAy
X
10
11
12
13
14
15 PAyDAy 16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29 PAyDAy 30
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2001-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. Ibid. Eskew, M., & Kleppner, P. (2006, August). The future of high-wage jobs in Illinois. State of Working Illinois policy brief. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University. 65 Stoll, K., & Jones, K. (2004, September). Health care: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Washington DC: Families USA. 66 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2000-2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 67 Calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
62 63 64
17
Receipt of Income Supports in Illinois

Illinois has seen significant increases in the number of food stamp recipients and the number of people in family health plans, while the number of children receiving childcare subsidies has remained fairly constant, and the number of Illinoisans receiving tAnf has dropped by nearly half from 2000 to 2006. change in Income support recipiency, may 2000 to november 200668
1,500,000
1,200,000
Family Health Plans Person Food Stamps Household
900,000
TANF Cases Childcare* Children
600,000
* Childcare enrollment data were not available from this source before November 2003.
300,000
May '00 Nov '00 May '01 Nov '01 May '02 Nov '02 May '03 Nov '03 May '04 Nov '04 May '05 Nov '05 May '06 Nov '06
Illinois has made a number of sound decisions regarding income support programs and must continue to strengthen them to improve accessibility, expand eligibility, and eliminate barriers for low-income families trying to make ends meet. Over the past 6 years, the number of Illinoisans who are enrolled in government family health plans has In the past 6 years, there has been a
nearly doubled
668,560 additional Illinoisans, many of whom are in working families, are able to stay healthy despite not having employer-sponsored health coverage.69
57.1% increase
in the number of Illinois households receiving Food Stamp benefits.70
68 69 70
Illinois Department of Human Services. (2006). Just the facts, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. Ibid. Ibid.
18
Critical Impact of Income Supports on the Budget of a Working Illinois Family

the clark family lives in a small urban area in Illinois and includes Annette, a 31-year-old mother, Johnny, a 9-year-old third grader who loves baseball, and Jasmine, an energetic 4-year-old. Annette works full time as a home health aide and earns $8.00 an hour. Her pay keeps the family hovering right around the poverty line. Though expenses in the city are about average for the state of Illinois, the cost of living far exceeds the Clark family budget. The income supports that Annette is able to access help her come close to paying for the familys basic expenses. The Earned Income Tax and Child Tax credits allow her to finish paying for basic expenses and then respond to emergencies, pay off past debt, begin saving for a down payment on a home, and enroll in a college course all steps toward getting a better job, building an asset base, and ultimately becoming economically stable and independent.
Without income supports, Annette falls $1,390 short each month of meeting even the most basic needs
of her family. And there is not a dime left over to buy Johnny a baseball mitt, get Jasmine a birthday gift when she turns 5, or contribute to a coworkers get-well gift. In fact, in small urban Illinois cities, workers in Annettes situation cannot meet their families
Note: This vignette is a composite of many Illinois families.
needs until they move up the pay scale to over $16.00 per hour twice what Annette makes now and
more than even an experienced home health aide earns.
At Annettes income level, the Clark family is eligible for a number of federal and state income supports. Most families do not receive all the supports for which they are eligible. For instance, the Clarks are eligible for a housing subsidy, but they are not able to get assistance because the public housing authority in their area has a waiting list a common occurrence throughout Illinois.
19
Clark Family Monthly Budget (one parent, family of three)

Basic Expenses 71 Housing (including utilities) Childcare 72 Food 73 Transportation Healthcare 74, 75 Miscellaneous* Taxes 76 Total needed Annettes Monthly Earnings Balance Earned Income Tax Credit 77 Child Tax Credit 78 Pre-Income minus Value of equals Income Supports Budget Assistance Supports Budget $656 $830 $445 $232 $231 $239 $140 $2,773 $1,383 $231 $750 $255 $656 = $80 = $190 $232 = $0 $239 $140 $1,537 $1,383
- $1,390
+ $375 + $59
- $154
+ $375 + $59
Amount to go towards additional expenses, emergencies, debt, and savings
$280
* clothing, school supplies, over-the-counter medication, household products, personal hygiene items, telephone
Pearce, D., & Brooks, J. (2001, December). The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Illinois. Washington DC & Chicago: Wider Opportunities for Women & Women Employed, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 72 Illinois Department of Human Services. (n.d.). DHS Bureau of Child Care and Development. Retrieved December 20, 2006, from http://www.dhs.state.il.us/ts/ChildCareDevelopment/CCD/eligcalc.asp 73 Illinois Legal Aid. (n.d.). Illinois Food Stamps calculator. Retrieved December 20, 2006, from http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.dsp_content&contentID=871 74 State of Illinois All Kids. (n.d.). All Kids income standards & cost sharing chart. Retrieved December 20, 2006, from http://www.allkids.com/income.html 75 State of Illinois FamilyCare. (n.d.). FamilyCare monthly income standards. Retrieved December 20, 2006, from http://www.familycareillinois.com/income.html 76 Center for Economic Progress (personal communication, December 13, 2006). 77 Ibid. 78 Ibid.
71
20
System Challenges & Opportunities for Improvement

Access to income supports is being compromised by deep cuts to the human services delivery system and by unaddressed infrastructure issues. Despite increased participation in the Food Stamp program in Illinois, the program does not reach even half of Illinoisans who are eligible. Additionally, only 2 out of 10 people who are eligible for housing vouchers or TANF actually receive the benefit.79
share of eligible Illinoisans receiving and not receiving various Income supports
there are opportunities to strengthen Illinois income support programs as evidenced by inadequate benefit levels and capacity issues. The Illinois EITC is set at only 5% of the federal refund making it
the least generous state eItc in the nation.

82
100% 80% 60% 40% 20%
41.0%
18.9%
18.1%
Receiving Support Not Receiving Support
81.7% of food assistance clients who receive Food Stamps report that their
monthly allotment of food stamps lasts for 3 weeks or less

on average they last 2.5 weeks.83
59.0%
0%
Food Stamps
81.1%
Housing Vouchers
81.9%
TANF
Note: Recipiency rates for Medicaid/All Kids, Childcare subsidies, and EITC are forthcoming from this source.
From 2001 to 2005, Illinois social safety net programs have experienced a:80
A family of three receiving the average monthly benefit from Illinois TANF cash assistance
only receives
increase in utilization
42.8%
cut in frontline staff
31.4%
$3,036 a year
well below half the poverty line.84 At any given time,
Calls to a hotline for Illinoisans with problems accessing state and federal benefits
of the public housing authorities in Illinois
over half
rose nearly 50%

from 2002 to 2005.
79 80 81
have closed waiting lists

for Housing Vouchers meaning families cannot even sign up to wait for assistance.85
81
Boushey, H., Chimienti, L., & Zipperer, B. (2007, February). Bridging the gaps in Illinois. Washington DC: Center for Economic and Policy Research. Campaign for Responsible Priorities. (n.d.). Without a net? Barriers to Illinois public benefits and supports. Springfield, IL: Author. Brodkin, E.Z., Fuqua, C., & Waxman, E. (2005, May). Accessing the safety net: Administrative barriers to public benefits in metropolitan Chicago. Research Brief. Chicago: Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago. 82 State EITC Online Resource Center. (n.d.). 50 state resource map. Retrieved December 7, 2006, from http://www.stateeitc.info/map/index.asp 83 Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (2006, February). Hunger in America 2006: National report prepared for Americas Second Harvest. (6100-500). Princeton, NJ: Author. 84 Illinois Department of Human Services. (n.d.). Facts about TANF December 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2007, from http://www.dhs.state.il.us/ts/fss/tanfStatistics.asp 85 Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. (2007, January). Not even a place in line 2007: Public housing & Housing Choice Voucher capacity and waiting lists in Illinois. Chicago: Author.
21
Recommended Improvements for Illinois Income Supports System

Income supports have value even beyond their dollar amount. Research shows that supporting low-wage workers in meeting their families needs produces positive outcomes. Hard work is rewarded. Workers are more productive when family responsibilities are addressed. Children do better in school when other aspects of their lives are stable. Employers benefit from added stability in the workforce. Communities experience increased purchasing power of consumers. The following recommendations provide concrete means to strengthen Illinois income supports system in the coming year, in order to help more Illinois families and communities realize economic stability.
Recommendation: Expand Critical Income Support Programs to Meet Need

Develop a plan to ensure healthcare for all people in Illinois. Increase TANF cash assistance monthly grant levels. Expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit program so low-income workers can keep more of their earnings.
Recommendation: Invest in the Service Delivery Infrastructure to Improve Access

Increase staffing levels at local offices and special units, including bilingual staff. Improve use of technology to streamline systems and reduce paperwork.
22
Pathways Out of Poverty

education
employment
health
housing
nutritio
basic necessiti es
Assets
he Pathways Out of Poverty section of this report highlights seven areas education, employment, health, housing, nutrition, basic necessities, and assets each of which is an important stepping stone on the Pathway Out of Poverty. The Pathway Out of Poverty and its stepping stones must be viewed as a whole. For many families living on the brink of poverty and even those living above the official poverty line all it takes is one medical emergency during a period of uninsurance, one mass layoff, or one eviction to catapult them into poverty and hardship. In other words, the stepping stones are interconnected in such a way that if one stone crumbles, stability is compromised and families can lose their footing. Each stepping stone can also be viewed individually and regarded as an indicator of hardship. Much of the data point to how Illinoisans are faring in respect to a particular issue. Viewing the stepping stones in this light uncovers where needs lie and offers a sense of how poverty erodes human rights. Finally, the stepping stones can be viewed as points of intervention and prevention. Each page highlights an action Illinois has taken or a positive change that has occurred as an example of efforts that can be undertaken to reduce poverty and hardship. Each stepping stone is a place to begin promoting change.

employment
health
23
Education
on educati
h ou sing
nutritio n
basic necessities
ts Asse
All Illinois children and youth should have equal access to quality education. The reality is that many are unable to realize the promise of education due to funding inequality, performance disparities, and rising costs.
Illinois Graduation rate, 2005-2006 86
87.8%
second largest gap in the nation

in 2004.87 Yearly net college costs of 2- and 4-year colleges for low-income Illinois students consume considerable shares of their annual family income.89 36% of family income
consumed by costs if student attends community college
Illinois funding gap of $2,355 per pupil between high poverty and low poverty districts was the
Low-income Illinois 8th graders were far more likely to score below the basic level in reading tests than their higher-income counterparts in the 2004-2005 school year.88
100%
59%
84%
Above Proficient Below Proficient
Percent Above or below Proficient
80% 60% 40% 20%
41% 16%
0%
Low-Income Students
Higher-Income Students
step forward
The fiscal year 2007 state budget passed by the Illinois General Assembly included a $38.4 million increase in financial aid for low-income students allowing more to enroll in college.90
Potential stumbling block

Despite the majority of Illinoisans identifying funding as the most important problem facing local schools and the majority supporting increases in income taxes and decreases in property taxes as the best means to adequately finance public education,91 Illinois system for funding public schools remains unequal due to its over-reliance on property taxes.
52% of family income

consumed by costs if student attends public 4-year college or university
86 87 88
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2005-2006 State school report card. Springfield, IL: Author. The Education Trust. (2006). Funding gaps 2006. Washington DC: Author. National Center for Education Statistics. (n.d.). Common core of data. Retrieved November 13, 2006, from http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 89 The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. (2006). Measuring up 2006: The state report card on higher education, Illinois. San Jose, CA: Author. 90 Women Employed. (2006, Summer). $38.4 million win for low-income adult students. The WE News. Chicago: Author. 91 Peddle, M.T., Burrell, B. (n.d.). The 2006 report on the Illinois Policy Survey. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University, Regional Development Institute.
24
Employment
Illinois unemployment rate, 200592
on educati
employment
health
h ou sing
nutritio n
basic necessities
ts Asse
5.7%
Realizing the right to work rests on three things: good jobs that pay living wages, a skilled workforce, and a strong safety net that supports workers, the unemployed, and those unable to work.93 The reality in Illinois is that low wages hinder families from being self-sufficient, workers are often not able to access education and training to increase their skills, and many fall through the cracks of the safety net.
38% of year-round working Illinois families receiving public assistance
Looking ahead through 2012,
depend on a worker who is paid
$8 an hour or less
below poverty-level wages for a family of four.94 The Unemployment Insurance (UI) system has not kept up with the needs of workers in Illinois rapidly growing, low-paying service industry.96
of jobs with earnings over $56,770 family-sustaining wages will require
71.5%
at least an associates degree.95
step forward
Effective July 1, 2007, Illinois state minimum wage increases to $7.50 an hour with increases to follow each year until the minimum wage reaches $8.25 in 2010. These increases allow working families to better meet their essential needs.
Low-wage Illinois workers are
38.9% less likely

to receive uI benefits than high-wage workers.97
92 93

Of the 309,000 TANF and Food Stamp recipients who may benefit from services, only 16,443 received federallyfunded WIA intensive employment and training services. This is a barrier to attaining the skills needed get a better job.98
Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (n.d.). Annual average data. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm Theodore, N., & Doussard, M. (2006, September 5). The hidden public cost of low-wage work in Illinois. Chicago & Berkeley, CA: Center for Urban Economic Development & Center for Labor Education and Research. 94 Ibid. 95 Eskew, M., & Kleppner, P. (2006, August). The future of high-wage jobs in Illinois. State of Working Illinois policy brief. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University. 96 Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, & Northern Illinois University. (2006). The state of working Illinois. Chicago & DeKalb, IL: Author. 97 Stettner, A., & Cirillo, D. (2005, January). Earned but not received: Unemployment benefits for low-wage workers during the Illinois recession. Chicago: Work, Welfare & Families. 98 Chicago Jobs Council. (n.d.). Illinois Department of Human Services employment services programs for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Food Stamp recipients. Between a rock and a hard place: Illinois workforce development system. Budget Brief No. 1. Chicago: Author.

employment
25
Health
on educati
health
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nutritio n
basic necessities
ts Asse
People in poverty are less able to access preventative care, have limited opportunity to engage in health promoting activities, and are less likely to be offered health insurance through their jobs. These issues, compounded by rising healthcare costs, leave low-income Illinoisans struggling to meet their health needs.
Illinois health uninsurance rate Ages 0 to 64, 200599
15.9%
area where they lack access to primary healthcare providers.100
live in a medically underserved
of all Illinoisans over 1.5 million
12.3%
unAvAILAbLe
one quarter or more

of their annual earnings.101
432,000 insured working age Illinoisans incurred health costs not covered by insurance in 2004 that totaled
forgoing needed medical care or prescription drugs because of costs.102
of all uninsured adults with chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, report
Half
step forward
The Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, which provides free screening and treatment for low-income, uninsured women, was recently expanded to allow women who received their diagnosis from doctors outside the program 103 to still access free treatment through the program.

Illinois providers who treat Medicaid patients report that the current payment delay can range anywhere from 104 6 weeks to 6 months. Illinois nonprofits report that persistent government payment delays are their primary 105 source of financial stress.
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2005-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. National Womens Law Center, & Oregon Health and Science University. (2004). Making the grade on womens health: A national and state-by-state report card. Washington DC & Portland: Author. 101 Stoll, K., & Jones, K. (2004, September). Health care: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Washington DC: Families USA. 102 Davidoff, A., & Kenney, G.M. (2005, May). Uninsured Americans with chronic health conditions: Key findings from the national health interview survey. Baltimore: University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Washington DC: The Urban Institute. 103 State of Illinois. (2006). Breast-cervical cancer screening. Retrieved November 9, 2006, from http://www.cancerscreening.illinois.gov/default.cfm 104 Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois (personal communication, December 5, 2006). 105 Illinois Facilities Fund & Donors Forum. (n.d.). Getting it right: How Illinois nonprofits manage for success. Chicago: Author.
99 100
26

employment
health
Housing
Illinois rent-burdened households, 2005106
on educati
hou
sing
nutritio n
basic necessities
ts Asse
49.6%
Safe, decent, and affordable housing is a fundamental human right. To be realized, Illinoisans must be able to put a roof over their head without depleting all their resources and must be able to access programs designed to help those who have no affordable housing options and those who have difficulty retaining stable housing.
The need for public housing in Illinois far exceeds the demand.107
Illinois invests much less money per person into affordable housing than other large states.108
Investment per Person of state funds for Affordable housing
$35 $30 $25 $20 $15 $10 $5 0
$35 $28
households
65,184
63,810
units
suPPLy
on WAItInG LIst
the vast majority of the existing units are either filled, awaiting demolition, or unlivable causing the scale to tip even more.
$16 $11 $4 IL
cA
ny
fL
mA
2 out of 5 receive no help at all

.
106 107 108
75.7% of Illinois homeless youth need help finding a job as a step toward becoming housed, yet nearly
step forward
Illinois more than doubled its commitment to the Homelessness Prevention Fund for fiscal year 2007, going from $5 million to $11 million, allowing an additional 15,000 families to avoid being homeless.110

In fiscal year 2007, the state over-committed funds in Illinois Affordable Housing Trust fund, the states primary source for affordable housing development. Fiscal year 2008 budget projections show that without a new source of revenue, the Trust Fund will not be able to maintain current funding commitments.
109
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. (2007, January). Not even a place in line 2007: Public housing & Housing Choice Voucher capacity and waiting lists in Illinois. Chicago: Author. United Power for Action and Justice. (2006). Creating a city in a garden: Changing Chicagos housing crisis into new opportunities. Chicago: Author. 109 Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. (n.d.). No youth alone: A campaign to end youth homelessness. Fact Sheet. Chicago: Author. 110 Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. (2006, November.) Analysis of FY2006 Homeless Prevention Program data.

employment
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27
Nutrition
on educati
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nutritio
basic necessities
ts Asse
Though freedom from hunger is a core human right, the ability of poor and low-income families to access adequate food is often limited. Decreases in the percentage of the population that receives TANF increases the share of food-insecure households.111 Similarly, if unemployment rises by just one percentage point, there will be about 700,000 additional food stamp recipients in the nation after 1 year.112
Illinois food Insecurity rate, 2005113
9.1%
Many working Illinois families still need Food Stamps to meet their nutritional needs:
The percentage of Illinois students eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches has steadily risen.115
50.0%
% of students eligible for free or reduced-Price Lunches
125,183 Illinois families

who work year-round
receive Food Stamps.114 Food assistance clients experience hardship that forces them to make difficult decisions about what to pay for.116 41.5% choose between buying food or paying for utilities or heating fuel 35.0% choose between buying food or paying the rent or mortgage 31.6% choose between buying food or paying for medicine or medical care
111 112 113
47.5% 45.0% 42.5% 40.0%
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
step forward
Due to the Childhood Hunger Relief Act, which mandated that schools serving free and reduced-price lunches also offer school breakfast, an additional 32,866 Illinois students received a nutritious breakfast on an average day during the 117 2005-2006 school year.

Despite increases in participation for the Food Stamp program, over 158,336 Illinois households still experienced 118 hunger in 2005.
Borjas, G. (2004). Food insecurity and public assistance. Journal of Public Economics, 88, 1421-1443. LeBlanc, M., Lin, B.H., & Smallwood, D. (2006, September). Food assistance: How strong is the safety net? Amber Waves. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Nord, M., Andrews, M., Carlson, S. (2006, November). Household food security in the United States, 2005. Economic Research Report Number 29. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. 114 Theodore, N., & Doussard, M. (2006, September 5). The hidden public cost of low-wage work in Illinois. Chicago & Berkeley, CA: Center for Urban Economic Development & Center for Labor Education and Research. 115 Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Nutrition programs, Free and Reduced-Price Meal eligibility data. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.isbe.state.il.us/nutrition/htmls/eligibility_listings.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 116 Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (2006, February). Hunger in America 2006: National report prepared for Americas Second Harvest. (6100-500). Princeton, NJ: Author. 117 Illinois Hunger Coalition. (2006). Report on the Illinois school breakfast mandate. Chicago: Author. 118 Nord, M., Andrews, M., & Carlson, S. (2006, November). Household food security in the United States, 2005. Economic Research Report Number 29. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
28

employment
health
Basic Necessities
change in consumer Purchasing Power, 2000 to 2005119
on educati
h ou sing
nutritio n
sset basic necessities A
-11.9%
50%
Percent Price change 2000 to 2005
The ability to realize freedom from poverty is dependent on efficient use of scarce resources, but lower-income families tend to pay more on average for the exact same consumer products than higher-income families. Lower-income families pay higher than average prices for mortgages and auto loans and pay excessive fees for furniture, appliances, electronics, and basic financial services, which further hinder families from getting ahead.120
40% 30% 20% 10% 0 -10% -20%
Energy 42.1% Medical Care 23.9%
Education 35.7%
Food & TransBeverage portation 13.5% 13.4%
The cost of various goods and services increased from 2000 to 2005 while consumer purchasing power121 and the Illinois median income dropped.122
Median Purchasing Income (IL) Power -9.8% -11.9%
Public transportation is more affordable than owning a vehicle, yet it is
step forward
$5.2 million in state general funds were added to the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to provide supplemental benefits of up to $100 to hundreds of thousands of Illinois households that received LIHEAP benefits last year.125
not even an option in 27 Illinois counties that do not have countywide-funded public transit service,123
even though 5.9% of households in these counties do not have a vehicle.124
119

While the APR for a payday loan in Illinois has dropped by 38.7% since the Payday Loan Reform Act was enacted, the APR for installment loans has risen 420.9%.126
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Consumer price index, create customized tables. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www.bls.gov/cpi/, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 120 Fellowes, M. (2006). From poverty, opportunity. Putting the market to work for lower income families. Washington DC: The Brookings Institution, Metropolitan Policy Program. 121 U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Consumer price index, create customized tables. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www.bls.gov/cpi/, calculation conducted by the MidAmerica Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 122 U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey 2001-2006 Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Microdata, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 123 Wood, C., & Cirillo, D. (2006, October). Transit uncovered: How to improve public transit in your community. Chicago: Work, Welfare & Families. 124 U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census 2000, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 125 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). LIHEAP clearinghouse. Retrieved November 1, 2006, from http://www.liheapch.acf.hhs.gov/news/resources06.htm#disconnect 126 Monsignor John Egan Campaign for Payday Loan Reform. (2006, October). Hunting down the payday loan customer: The debt collection practices of two payday loan companies. Chicago: Public Action Foundation, Citizen Action/ Illinois & Woodstock Institute.

employment
health
29
Assets
on educati
h ou sing
nutritio n
basic necessities
ts Asse
An asset base gives families economic security. Assets range from a savings account, to an educational degree, to homeownership. Every Illinoisan should have an equal opportunity to establish economic security for their families through asset building. Yet the vast majority of housing and savings tax subsidies, which encourage and reward asset building, accrue to households making over $50,000 annually.127
Illinois Asset Poverty rate, 2002128
20.7%
One third of workers age 40 and older
Illinois renter families have a poverty rate of compared to a poverty rate of only
have not yet saved any money for retirement.129
for Illinois families who own their homes.130
28.7% 3.6%
Education is a lifelong asset. Of jobs requiring:131 An associates degree Less than associates degree
step forward
Illinois was awarded a $1 million federal grant under the Assets for Independence Act to create a matched savings program for low-income Illinoisans over 5 years old.
73.1% pay 68.5% pay
above $56,770

Several public benefits programs in Illinois continue to consider assets in determining eligibility for assistance. These asset limits not only penalize individuals for having savings, but also require applicants to spend down assets in order to qualify for assistance and are counterproductive to families long-term self-sufficiency and financial stability.
under $23,650
Johnson, S.N., Mensah, L., & Steuerle, C.E. (2006, Spring). Savings in America: Building opportunity for all. New York: Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs. CFED. (2007). 2005 Assets and opportunity scorecard. Retrieved November 13, 2006, from http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid=31&siteid=504&id=505 Holley, H. (2006, May). Retirement planning survey among U.S. adults age 40 and older. Washington DC: AARP. 130 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 131 Eskew, M., & Kleppner, P. (2006, August). The future of high-wage jobs in Illinois. State of Working Illinois policy brief. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University.
127 128 129
30
Working Toward Change: Rock Island County Task Force on Poverty
he success and well-being of Illinois depends on the strength of its communities, cities, and counties as well as its people. Areas across the state are struggling with increasing poverty, loss of youth to sustain the workforce, significant job losses, and challenges to competing in the global economy. Rock Island County is one such place that is working to reverse these trends, that is working toward change. Both this year and last, Rock Island County has been on our County Well-Being Warning List. The county has worse rates than the state on high school graduation, teen births, and poverty, and has worsened over time on all but graduation rates.
2007 rock Island county Well-being Indicator Data

Indicator High School Graduation Teen Birth Unemployment Poverty current status 85.1% (worse than IL) 13.9% (worse than IL) 4.4% (better than IL) 12.0% (worse than IL) Point change from Last year 1.2% (improved) 0.9% (worsened) 0.2% (worsened) 0.4% (worsened)
This section describes how one Illinois county reacted when the leaders there did not like what they were seeing on the County Well-Being pages of this report. The leadership that emerged on poverty-related issues in Rock Island provides a compelling example of how local leaders can play a vital role in addressing their communitys social and economic well-being.
31
Rock Island County Task Force on Poverty
ock Island County is set in the picturesque landscape of the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities area along the Illinois/Iowa border. Rock Island is an urban county with added rural amenities. The three major cities in the county, Moline, East Moline, and Rock Island, border one another and are surrounded by rich farmland. Rock Island is heralded for its residential quality of life including affordable housing costs, recreational and cultural amenities, and short commute times between home and work. For years Rock Island County was considered a strong industrial area due to its central location, proximity to river transportation, and, at one time, strong railroads. The region, home to Deere & Company, was a massive manufacturer of farm implements but was hard hit by the Midwest farm crisis of the 1980s. Difficult demographic and economic shifts ensued. County population has declined by almost 20,000 people in the past 25 years,132 young workers have moved out of the area, and the median age of the county is now 39.2 years old far higher than that of Illinois and the nation.133 Job loss has had a severe impact with an estimated 20,000 jobs lost primarily in the manufacturing sector. Median household income has declined and at $41,365, is far lower than the state as a whole.134 These are some of the factors that have contributed to Rock Islands placement on the County Well-Being Warning List. Similar economic and demographic changes impact the well-being of residents in many counties across Illinois by inhibiting the ability of families to achieve economic security, increasing the likelihood that they will experience poverty. However, these conditions do not have to be permanent fixtures of life for county residents. In Rock Island County, the horizon looks much brighter due to the concerted efforts of a group of committed community leaders.
132 133 134
U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census 1980, 1990, 2000 and Population Estimates, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2005. U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census 2000 and American Community Survey 2005, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
32
Q:
A:
What advice would you give other counties struggling with these issues? To start with, take it seriously! Being on the poverty Watch or Warning List should send a red flag up to a community that there are problems and problems invariably get worse without action.
One year ago, when the County Board Chairman saw that Rock Island was placed on the County Well-Being Warning List, he immediately responded. He mobilized private- and public-sector leaders to create the Rock Island County Task Force on Poverty which now has a diverse member base that includes city officials as well as people from education, court services, the workforce development board, community-based organizations, a local college, and the chamber of commerce. The Task Force meets monthly to explore and understand poverty and to set goals. The following blueprint of their first year activities provides a concrete example of what communities across Illinois can do to address poverty.
rock Island task force on Poverty first year Activities

Launch a public/private task force on poverty comprised of high-level leaders. Bring in experts to present on critical issues including economic development,
poverty trends, prisoner reentry, education, and substance use.
Special thanks to Phil Banaszak, county board member and Chair of the Task Force on Poverty; Jim Bohnsack, Rock Island County Board Chairman; Becky Sipes, Vice President of Community Initiatives for United Way of the Quad Cities Area; and Chuck Stewart, Director of the Rock Island Tri-County Consortium, for their time spent in helping tell this story.
Use research to identify particular areas of critical need. Rock Island used the
Bi-State Regional Commission to map poverty concentrations in the Quad Cities area.
Establish short-term goals to get off the poverty Warning List in the short run and
establish longer-term goals to stay off of the list. Pinpoint areas to concentrate on that can be effective at the local level such as economic development, education, training, and service access and coordination.
Hold a legislative breakfast with area legislators and members of Congress to

discuss local issues.
Include items that address poverty on local legislative agendas. Items submitted by
the Task Force on Poverty include a property tax review regarding school funding, adequate medical and dental funding, and adopting policies to promote developmental assets for youth.
Leverage funds to hire a Task Force coordinator to keep stakeholders engaged,

to unify efforts when possible, identify gaps, and launch new initiatives. the rock Island county task force on Poverty and its bold leaders should be commended for rising to the challenge and seeking comprehensive solutions that promote social and economic well-being in their county.
County Well-Being Indicators
33
our key indicators of well-being are assessed in each of Illinois 102 counties - high school graduation rates, unemployment rates, teen birth rates, and poverty rates. Counties in Illinois are evaluated using a point system, with the higher number of points indicating a worse score. A point is given to a county if its rate is higher than the state average and/or if they have worsened since the previous year. For each indicator a total of 2 points is possible and overall a total of 8 points is possible. Counties that score 4 or 5 points are placed on a Watch List and counties that score 6, 7, or 8 points are placed on a Warning List. Using this methodology, over half of Illinois counties have been placed on either the Poverty Watch or Poverty Warning lists. There has been significant movement since the 2006 Report 44 counties have a worse list status this year than they did last, and only a handful of counties improved their list status.
number of counties changing lists:

Improved (from Warning to Watch or Watch to not on a list) 9 Worsened (from Watch to Warning or not on a list to Watch or Warning) 44 No change (on same list as last year) 49
The County Well-Being Indicators illustrate that poverty and hardship are not limited to one region of the state. Counties all across Illinois struggle with poverty-related issues. This years Watch and Warnings lists must serve as a wake-up call for leaders to begin deliberate efforts to reverse these trends in their communities.
Note: Often the agencies that provide data for the County Well-Being Indicator section improve their methods or correct errors, which results in changes to the numbers and analyses in previous years reports. Each year, the most current, accurate data are re-gathered, and subsequent changes to Watch or Warning List status are incorporated before comparing one year to the next.
34
Counties of Concern
JO DAVIESS STEPHENSON WINNEBAGO BOONE MCHENRY LAKE
32 counties are on the Poverty Watch List and 25 counties are on the Poverty Warning List
CARROLL
OGLE DE KALB KANE DU PAGE COOK KENDALL BUREAU LA SALLE GRUNDY PUTNAM MARSHALL LIVINGSTON WOODFORD KANKAKEE WILL
WHITESIDE
LEE
ROCK ISLAND MERCER
HENRY
STARK KNOX WARREN HENDERSON PEORIA
IROQUOIS
MCDONOUGH HANCOCK
FULTON
TAZEWELL
MCLEAN
FORD
MASON SCHUYLER ADAMS BROWN CASS MENARD MACON MORGAN PIKE SCOTT CHRISTIAN GREENE CALHOUN JERSEY MADISON BOND MARION MACOUPIN MONTGOMERY FAYETTE SHELBY SANGAMON MOULTRIE LOGAN DE WITT PIATT
CHAMPAIGN
VERMILION
DOUGLAS EDGAR COLES CLARK CUMBERLAND
EFFINGHAM
JASPER CRAWFORD
CLINTON ST. CLAIR WASHINGTON MONROE RANDOLPH PERRY
14.6
WAYNE
CLAY
RICHLAND
LAWRENCE
WABASH EDWARDS
JEFFERSON
HAMILTON FRANKLIN
WHITE
Watch
County has an indicator score of 4 or 5 and needs to be monitored.
JACKSON
WILLIAMSON
SALINE
GALLATIN
UNION
JOHNSON
POPE
HARDIN
Warning
County has an indicator score of 6, 7 or 8 and needs to initiate corrective action.
ALEXANDER
PULASKI
MASSAC
35
Overview of Counties by Well-Being Indicator

this overview of the well-being indicators shows how Illinois as a whole is faring on each of the four well-being indictors.
teen birth rates Poverty rates
counties
37
counties
23
counties
14
counties
43
counties
42
counties
45
unemployment rates
Graduation rates
counties
22
counties
32
counties
15
counties
48
counties
34
counties
53
Counties with zero points Counties with one point Counties with two points
See footnotes in tables on the following pages.
36

bold Counties on the Watch List (see page 34) Bold Italic Counties on the Warning List (see page 34)

County ISBE High School Grad Rate, 20052006135 Point Change in Grad Rate from Previous Year136 Teen Birth Rate, 2004137 Point Change in Teen Birth Rate from Previous Year138 Unemployment Rate, August 2006*139
Point Change in Unemployment Rate from Previous August140
Poverty Rate, 2004141
Point Change in Poverty Rate from Previous Year142
Illinois Adams Alexander Bond Boone Brown Bureau calhoun carroll cass Champaign christian clark clay clinton Coles Cook Crawford Cumberland DeKalb Dewitt Douglas DuPage Edgar Edwards Effingham fayette Ford franklin fulton Gallatin Greene Grundy
135 136
87.8% 89.7% 97.0% 84.0% 84.9% 100.0% 93.1% 93.0% 88.3% 94.2% 90.6% 85.6% 97.6% 88.0% 87.7% 86.5% 83.1% 94.3% 98.7% 93.9% 88.2% 100.0% 94.3% 91.7% 92.9% 92.9% 91.0% 82.6% 93.3% 91.6% 100.0% 89.0% 95.3%
0.4% 4.1% 8.0% -3.3% 0.6% 3.6% 3.0% 7.3% -0.7% -4.9% 0.4% 2.9% 1.8% 1.4% -1.4% -1.0% 0.3% 3.6% -0.5% 4.0% 4.2% 3.8% -0.5% -1.4% -0.3% -0.4% -5.0% -5.4% 1.5% 2.0% 0.0% -1.6% 1.5%
9.9% 14.2% 21.4% 11.5% 8.0% 7.1% 7.6% 15.7% 11.3% 12.2% 8.7% 14.9% 13.2% 12.3% 7.5% 10.4% 11.1% 15.5% 6.6% 7.4% 8.9% 8.5% 4.1% 14.6% 8.7% 9.8% 10.7% 11.3% 11.5% 13.7% 5.1% 7.9% 8.0%
0.2% 1.5% 3.0% -2.3% -0.2% -2.1% -1.4% 3.6% 0.3% 0.2% 0.5% -0.1% 2.4% 5.1% -0.5% -1.4% 0.2% 0.0% -1.5% 0.8% 1.1% -3.1% 0.1% 2.6% 4.0% 0.0% -0.1% 0.0% -0.4% 3.4% -4.6% -3.9% 0.7%
4.6% 3.9% 9.9% 5.6% 5.3% 3.4% 4.4% 5.1% 4.9% 4.6% 4.1% 5.2% 5.3% 5.4% 5.3% 4.9% 4.8% 5.7% 4.8% 3.7% 4.4% 4.4% 3.4% 4.9% 4.4% 4.6% 5.6% 4.5% 8.0% 5.8% 6.5% 5.1% 4.8%
-0.9% 0.2% 0.7% 0.3% -0.3% -1.0% -0.1% -0.3% -0.7% -0.1% 0.0% -0.3% 0.5% -0.7% 1.2% -0.1% -1.5% 0.0% 0.0% -1.0% -0.6% -0.2% -1.2% -0.2% -0.6% -0.6% -0.7% -0.4% 0.1% -0.3% 0.1% -0.3% -1.5%
11.9% 11.3% 23.8% 11.2% 7.9% 12.3% 8.8% 8.9% 10.1% 10.7% 13.4% 11.1% 10.6% 12.1% 7.6% 14.4% 15.2% 11.9% 10.3% 9.6% 10.3% 8.2% 6.0% 12.2% 9.4% 9.2% 13.6% 8.1% 15.4% 12.1% 16.1% 12.5% 6.0%
0.5% 0.1% 1.5% 0.4% 0.2% 0.7% 0.2% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 0.8% 0.6% 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% 1.2% 0.6% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.5% 0.2% 0.2% 0.7% 0.3% 0.4% 0.5% 0.0% 0.6% 0.8% 0.3% 0.3% 0.0%
*At the time of print, these are the most accurate August 2006 unemployment rates available from the Illinois Department of Employment Security.
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author. Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 137 Illinois Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Illinois teen births by county. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/teen/teen0304.htm 138 Illinois Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Illinois teen births by county. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/teen/teen0304.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 139 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (n.d.). Annual average data. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm 140 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (n.d.). Annual average data. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 141 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2004. 142 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2003-2004, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
37

bold Counties on the Watch List (see page 34) Bold Italic Counties on the Warning List (see page 34) Point Change in Unemployment Rate from Previous August140 Poverty Rate, 2004141 Point Change in Poverty Rate from Previous Year142
Illinois Hamilton Hancock Hardin Henderson Henry Iroquois Jackson Jasper Jefferson Jersey Jo Daviess Johnson Kane kankakee Kendall Knox Lake LaSalle Lawrence Lee Livingston Logan macon macoupin madison Marion Marshall mason Massac McDonough McHenry McLean Menard mercer Monroe
135 136
87.8% 95.8% 97.9% 94.3% 80.3% 91.8% 87.6% 90.8% 97.9% 80.3% 97.6% 92.1% 99.3% 89.7% 85.1% 91.1% 85.6% 94.1% 90.2% 86.2% 84.9% 89.3% 90.3% 85.3% 89.4% 91.9% 76.1% 92.1% 85.4% 90.6% 95.1% 92.4% 92.1% 98.9% 93.9% 92.1%
0.4% -3.1% 2.6% -5.7% -18.3% -1.3% 0.2% 3.2% 3.8% 5.1% 5.7% 1.6% 3.1% 1.7% 2.5% -1.6% -0.1% 0.4% 2.0% 10.5% -7.2% -3.2% 0.4% 1.1% 0.0% -0.2% -11.0% 7.7% -5.9% 2.8% 0.7% 0.7% 0.0% 4.7% -1.4% 0.0%
9.9% 15.9% 9.5% 23.1% 11.3% 6.7% 10.2% 10.8% 12.8% 15.4% 10.7% 9.6% 7.0% 8.7% 12.2% 4.5% 11.4% 6.7% 8.4% 14.2% 8.0% 9.2% 12.9% 14.3% 10.0% 11.6% 15.4% 10.2% 14.2% 20.1% 8.4% 5.4% 6.6% 9.5% 8.9% 4.5%
0.2% 3.3% 0.8% 9.1% 0.7% -3.6% -1.7% 1.4% 3.4% 0.6% -0.6% 2.4% -5.5% 0.4% -2.3% 1.5% 0.8% 0.0% -1.7% -0.2% -2.6% 0.3% -0.2% -0.6% -2.5% 0.5% 0.1% -0.4% -1.6% 9.2% -1.8% 0.3% -0.3% 4.8% 0.2% 1.0%
4.6% 6.0% 5.2% 7.9% 5.5% 4.3% 4.2% 4.6% 5.2% 5.1% 4.8% 3.5% 5.8% 3.9% 6.0% 3.6% 5.8% 4.3% 5.4% 5.6% 4.6% 4.4% 5.0% 6.1% 5.3% 5.3% 6.9% 4.0% 6.8% 5.9% 4.5% 3.4% 3.7% 3.9% 4.7% 4.4%
-0.9% 1.4% 0.0% 0.1% 0.4% 0.0% -0.1% 0.1% -0.3% -0.1% 0.3% 0.0% -0.6% -1.2% 0.0% -0.9% -1.6% 0.0% -0.2% 0.4% -0.2% -0.4% -0.5% -0.2% 0.2% -0.1% 0.4% 0.1% -0.1% 0.5% 0.0% -1.1% -0.1% -0.1% 0.7% 0.7%
11.9% 12.6% 9.8% 15.3% 10.4% 8.2% 10.2% 20.2% 10.0% 13.9% 8.5% 7.8% 13.5% 7.9% 11.9% 4.1% 13.4% 7.1% 9.8% 13.1% 9.3% 10.1% 10.7% 14.3% 10.6% 11.2% 13.6% 8.1% 11.3% 13.8% 16.4% 4.5% 10.1% 8.8% 8.6% 4.0%
0.5% 0.4% 0.0% 0.3% 0.2% -0.1% 0.4% 0.9% -0.1% 0.2% 0.1% 0.3% 0.8% 0.5% 0.6% 0.0% 0.8% 0.3% -0.3% 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.2% 0.8% 0.3% 0.6% 0.1% 0.3% 0.3% 0.6% 0.5% 0.1% 0.7% 0.3% 0.0% -0.1%
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author. Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 137 Illinois Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Illinois teen births by county. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/teen/teen0304.htm 138 Illinois Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Illinois teen births by county. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/teen/teen0304.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 139 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (n.d.). Annual average data. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm 140 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (n.d.). Annual average data. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 141 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2004. 142 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2003-2004, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
38

bold Counties on the Watch List (see page 34) Bold Italic Counties on the Warning List (see page 34) Point Change in Unemployment Rate from Previous August140 Poverty Rate, 2004141 Point Change in Poverty Rate from Previous Year142

Illinois Montgomery morgan Moultrie ogle Peoria Perry Piatt Pike Pope Pulaski Putnam randolph richland Rock Island Saline sangamon Schuyler Scott Shelby St. Clair Stark stephenson Tazewell Union vermilion Wabash Warren Washington Wayne White Whiteside Will Williamson Winnebago Woodford
135
87.8% 85.3% 94.3% 98.7% 90.6% 87.0% 84.5% 96.8% 91.6% 73.0% 98.6% 90.0% 95.0% 92.3% 85.1% 88.1% 92.3% 93.6% 93.0% 93.4% 86.5% 100.0% 92.8% 89.6% 87.5% 79.1% 88.4% 90.0% 91.7% 91.6% 88.1% 87.0% 89.4% 97.3% 78.5% 96.1%
0.4% -4.8% 0.2% 6.8% 3.1% -0.9% 0.0% 0.5% 0.4% -10.3% 1.0% 1.9% 9.4% 0.0% 1.2% 2.0% -1.2% 0.0% -4.6% -3.3% 2.3% 9.0% 1.2% 2.2% -3.6% 1.1% 2.3% -5.3% -2.4% 1.8% 4.2% -1.2% -1.6% 4.1% -0.8% 0.0%
9.9% 15.7% 14.1% 9.7% 8.4% 14.1% 12.6% 7.3% 12.3% 25.0% 25.8% 7.5% 13.7% 12.1% 13.9% 18.6% 11.5% 6.1% 17.1% 11.6% 14.6% 5.7% 13.5% 9.3% 11.3% 16.4% 8.6% 11.5% 7.0% 9.3% 15.9% 12.6% 5.7% 11.1% 11.9% 6.3%
0.2% 2.5% 0.2% 0.0% 0.2% 1.2% 0.6% -0.3% 5.5% 7.4% 6.9% -1.0% 2.3% 2.6% 0.9% 5.2% -0.4% -1.9% -0.2% 1.1% 0.9% -5.6% 1.9% 1.3% -1.3% -0.9% -2.2% -0.8% -4.1% 2.6% 2.5% 0.3% 0.3% -0.3% 0.2% 0.2%
4.6% 6.0% 5.0% 3.9% 4.9% 4.8% 7.4% 4.0% 4.6% 7.3% 8.6% 5.0% 5.3% 5.4% 4.4% 6.3% 4.6% 3.9% 4.5% 4.9% 6.4% 4.9% 4.9% 4.3% 6.0% 6.3% 5.4% 5.4% 4.1% 4.4% 5.2% 5.7% 3.9% 5.5% 5.6% 3.4%
-0.9% -0.9% -0.5% -0.3% 0.1% -0.2% 1.0% 0.3% -0.1% 1.0% -0.9% -0.1% 0.0% -0.5% 0.2% 0.3% 0.1% 0.0% -0.1% 0.1% 0.4% -0.9% -0.3% -0.4% -0.1% 0.0% -1.0% -0.3% -0.2% -0.4% 0.4% -0.1% -1.2% 0.3% -0.7% -0.1%
11.9% 12.9% 12.4% 8.3% 8.7% 13.2% 13.8% 6.4% 12.6% 15.4% 20.7% 6.4% 12.0% 12.3% 12.0% 16.1% 10.3% 10.1% 9.8% 9.5% 15.0% 9.3% 10.8% 8.6% 14.1% 14.9% 11.8% 11.3% 7.2% 12.1% 12.7% 9.7% 6.6% 13.7% 12.7% 6.0%
0.5% 0.4% 0.7% 0.0% 0.7% -0.2% 0.5% 0.4% 0.1% 1.2% 0.8% -0.1% 0.6% 0.4% 0.4% 1.1% 0.2% 0.6% 0.3% 0.1% 0.5% 0.1% 0.6% 0.5% 0.4% 0.9% 0.4% 0.3% 0.0% 0.1% 0.6% 0.3% 0.0% 0.1% 0.5% 0.0%
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author. 136 Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 137 Illinois Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Illinois teen births by county. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/teen/teen0304.htm 138 Illinois Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Illinois teen births by county. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/teen/teen0304.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 139 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (n.d.). Annual average data. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm 140 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (n.d.). Annual average data. Retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/laus/lausmenu.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 141 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2004. 142 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2003-2004, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
Appendix
39
Appendix
he following tables provide detailed information on each county in Illinois relating to income, poverty, housing, health, and education. For the poverty rate by county, see pages 36-38.
40
Appendix
Income & Poverty

County Number of People in Poverty, 2004143 Poverty Rate for Population Under Age 18, 2004144 Bankruptcies per 1,000 People, 2005145 Net Job Flow, 2004146 Change in Average New Hire Monthly Earnings, 2003-2004147 Percent Change in Average New Hire Monthly Earnings, 2003-2004148 Average Wage Per Job, 2005149
Illinois Adams Alexander Bond Boone Brown Bureau Calhoun Carroll Cass Champaign Christian Clark Clay Clinton Coles Cook Crawford Cumberland DeKalb Dewitt Douglas DuPage Edgar Edwards Effingham Fayette Ford Franklin Fulton Gallatin Greene Grundy
143 144 145
1,486,115 7,278 2,007 1,765 3,957 602 3,100 457 1,613 1,464 22,790 3,717 1,783 1,673 2,589 6,873 798,672 2,208 1,122 8,624 1,692 1,618 55,088 2,248 637 3,176 2,725 1,122 6,047 4,252 988 1,789 2,639
16.7% 15.3% 34.9% 13.8% 11.1% 11.9% 12.8% 11.4% 15.3% 15.3% 16.0% 16.2% 15.9% 16.7% 10.0% 17.0% 22.2% 17.3% 15.1% 10.1% 15.5% 12.0% 6.8% 18.1% 14.0% 12.7% 18.9% 11.4% 24.0% 17.2% 24.2% 17.8% 8.1%
8.3 8.9 18.0 6.9 7.9 5.6 10.0 3.5 7.5 7.2 7.2 11.4 9.0 7.9 5.5 9.7 8.6 8.8 9.0 6.0 10.2 7.8 4.9 8.9 4.0 9.4 6.9 7.4 12.8 10.0 10.7 6.0 10.8
93,221 958 15 44 45 252 494 -50 119 189 932 233 274 -68 178 1,471 31,816 395 -35 447 100 174 13,114 -151 3 29 -38 84 -55 -96 37 -60 117
$4 $135 $178 -$137 $98 $4 $323 $149 -$337 $6 $11 $102 -$279 $126 -$70 -$56 $37 $186 $14 -$65 -$341 $19 -$19 -$15 $273 $269 -$2 -$169 $56 $129 $155 -$28 $481
0.2% 9.1% 12.6% -8.9% 5.2% 0.2% 20.9% 14.3% -20.8% 0.3% 0.7% 7.3% -16.2% 8.7% -5.0% -4.5% 1.4% 13.3% 1.1% -3.9% -15.7% 1.3% -0.7% -1.1% 15.6% 18.3% -0.1% -9.6% 4.3% 11.5% 9.9% -2.2% 26.2%
$43,165 $29,621 $29,257 $29,119 $40,697 $33,573 $30,854 $21,159 $25,946 $27,439 $31,985 $28,115 $26,867 $28,582 $26,276 $26,141 $49,256 $32,356 $23,203 $31,034 $35,556 $28,970 $47,922 $27,626 $28,750 $28,687 $25,611 $27,584 $26,148 $24,527 $29,330 $22,603 $42,086
U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2004. Ibid. FDIC Regional Economic Conditions. (2006). Personal bankruptcy filing rate (per 1,000 population) Illinois. Retrieved December 1, 2006, from http://www2.fdic.gov/recon/ovrpt.asp?CPT_CODE=NBR&ST_CODE=17&RPT_TYPE=Tables 146 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Employment Dynamics. (n.d.). LEHD state of Illinois county reports Quarterly Workforce Indicators. Retrieved November 7, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/LED/default.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 147 Ibid. 149 Ibid. 149 Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Economic Accounts. (2006, December). Local Area Personal Income, Average wage per job. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis/
Appendix
41
Income & Poverty (continued)

Illinois Hamilton Hancock Hardin Henderson Henry Iroquois Jackson Jasper Jefferson Jersey Jo Daviess Johnson Kane Kankakee Kendall Knox Lake LaSalle Lawrence Lee Livingston Logan Macon Macoupin Madison Marion Marshall Mason Massac McDonough McHenry McLean Menard Mercer Monroe
143 144
1,486,115 1,028 1,844 696 827 4,106 3,059 10,723 1,000 5,287 1,851 1,748 1,471 37,975 12,402 3,285 6,661 49,015 10,825 1,918 3,097 3,684 2,819 15,361 5,090 29,155 5,339 1,048 1,769 2,089 4,418 13,825 14,941 1,108 1,442 1,247
16.7% 18.8% 14.0% 22.8% 16.1% 12.6% 15.3% 26.0% 14.9% 20.1% 11.8% 11.4% 17.0% 10.9% 17.3% 5.4% 19.9% 9.2% 13.9% 19.3% 12.1% 13.3% 15.0% 21.3% 15.7% 16.1% 21.6% 11.3% 17.3% 20.7% 19.9% 5.6% 10.7% 13.2% 12.3% 4.8%
8.3 7.6 6.9 6.4 8.5 8.3 8.7 7.1 6.2 9.7 8.0 3.5 6.9 5.7 12.9 5.8 13.0 5.3 13.0 6.7 6.9 8.6 11.2 13.2 7.7 11.6 9.9 8.3 11.7 9.3 5.8 5.2 8.4 7.6 6.3 5.1
93,221 37 -135 -67 -24 319 448 1,037 40 77 153 -44 104 120 311 21 -905 7,410 1,225 -72 183 333 -36 994 115 -708 26 -56 -94 -53 262 3,075 -64 42 101 311
$4 -$6 $951 $53 $144 $86 -$266 $150 $65 $56 $61 $106 -$16 -$80 $31 $171 $165 $73 $45 $177 -$93 -$307 $159 $52 $103 -$420 -$247 -$195 $121 -$38 -$51 $85 -$808 $122 -$10 $195
0.2% -0.5% 70.5% 4.5% 15.0% 6.2% -15.8% 12.3% 5.1% 3.7% 4.5% 8.1% -1.2% -4.4% 1.9% 10.0% 12.6% 2.8% 3.0% 11.1% -5.2% -16.2% 12.7% 3.0% 7.8% -19.3% -15.1% -11.4% 11.0% -2.6% -4.3% 4.4% -31.0% 11.2% -0.9% 13.7%
$43,165 $25,100 $24,954 $23,675 $22,995 $26,428 $25,930 $27,268 $28,535 $31,412 $24,420 $25,597 $27,871 $37,833 $31,756 $37,207 $28,732 $48,698 $31,797 $26,787 $32,512 $33,800 $29,259 $38,269 $26,956 $34,015 $28,637 $28,018 $26,133 $33,180 $26,381 $35,839 $38,700 $23,928 $23,980 $27,662
U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2004. Ibid. 145 FDIC Regional Economic Conditions. (2006). Personal bankruptcy filing rate (per 1,000 population) Illinois. Retrieved December 1, 2006, from http://www2.fdic.gov/recon/ovrpt.asp?CPT_CODE=NBR&ST_CODE=17&RPT_TYPE=Tables 146 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Employment Dynamics. (n.d.). LEHD state of Illinois county reports Quarterly Workforce Indicators. Retrieved November 7, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/LED/default.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 147 Ibid. 149 Ibid. 149 Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Economic Accounts. (2006, December). Local Area Personal Income, Average wage per job. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis/
42
Appendix
Income & Poverty (continued)

Illinois Montgomery Morgan Moultrie Ogle Peoria Perry Piatt Pike Pope Pulaski Putnam Randolph Richland Rock Island Saline Sangamon Schuyler Scott Shelby St. Clair Stark Stephenson Tazewell Union Vermilion Wabash Warren Washington Wayne White Whiteside Will Williamson Winnebago Woodford
143 144 145
1,486,115 3,613 4,051 1,183 4,665 23,293 2,823 1,059 2,085 634 1,354 387 3,545 1,938 17,278 4,031 19,776 706 528 2,096 38,406 566 5,124 10,919 2,537 11,863 1,475 1,857 1,061 2,028 1,903 5,722 42,183 8,533 36,226 2,201
16.7% 17.8% 17.1% 12.1% 11.3% 19.5% 18.3% 8.2% 17.9% 22.7% 31.1% 9.3% 16.5% 17.8% 18.1% 24.8% 15.4% 14.4% 13.9% 13.6% 22.3% 13.9% 15.9% 11.8% 20.2% 22.2% 16.7% 15.5% 9.6% 17.2% 19.4% 14.3% 8.6% 21.0% 18.7% 8.1%
8.3 10.1 8.0 8.8 7.5 11.1 8.3 8.6 7.5 6.7 13.4 8.4 7.4 8.1 8.5 9.4 10.8 8.1 7.6 6.1 13.0 10.9 9.2 10.5 9.2 12.7 7.6 9.2 5.4 5.4 8.2 9.5 7.8 11.3 12.2 5.2
93,221 63 28 117 541 2,456 98 42 96 22 -9 182 -204 -172 5,942 54 1,341 -11 123 180 2,109 19 131 2,026 63 72 -208 -11 7 99 0 939 4,722 592 5,883 436
$4 -$58 $118 -$4 $188 -$51 $274 $28 -$151 -$26 $235 -$287 $69 $72 $84 $109 $105 -$30 $176 $137 $215 $320 -$142 $206 -$36 $34 $1 $563 $180 $135 $338 -$78 $43 -$214 -$48 $233
0.2% -3.9% 8.2% -0.3% 11.0% -2.6% 20.9% 2.1% -11.6% -2.6% 17.4% -12.0% 5.0% 5.5% 5.3% 6.1% 5.8% -2.0% 12.0% 10.3% 14.4% 20.7% -8.0% 12.0% -2.8% 2.2% 0.1% 39.8% 11.6% 8.9% 25.1% -4.9% 2.2% -13.0% -2.8% 15.9%
$43,165 $28,169 $28,930 $28,122 $35,434 $39,099 $27,346 $26,732 $24,266 $23,478 $26,730 $36,567 $31,086 $26,086 $40,043 $30,428 $36,948 $30,283 $33,655 $24,912 $34,477 $25,945 $33,430 $43,724 $26,845 $32,073 $27,114 $26,202 $30,610 $24,954 $26,794 $28,385 $37,429 $28,972 $35,082 $28,512
U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates 2004. Ibid. FDIC Regional Economic Conditions. (2006). Personal bankruptcy filing rate (per 1,000 population) Illinois. Retrieved December 1, 2006, from http://www2.fdic.gov/recon/ovrpt.asp?CPT_CODE=NBR&ST_CODE=17&RPT_TYPE=Tables 146 Illinois Department of Employment Security, Local Employment Dynamics. (n.d.). LEHD state of Illinois county reports Quarterly Workforce Indicators. Retrieved November 7, 2006, from http://lmi.ides.state.il.us/LED/default.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 147 Ibid. 149 Ibid. 149 Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Economic Accounts. (2006, December). Local Area Personal Income, Average wage per job. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis/
Appendix
43
Housing
County Renters as a Percent of Total Households, 2000150 Fair Market Rent (FMR) for 2BR, 2007151 Estimate of Mean Renter Hourly Wage, 2006152 Monthly Rent Affordable at Mean Renter Wage, 2006153 Wage Needed to Afford 2BR FMR, 2006154 2BR Housing Wage as a Percent of IL Minimum Wage, 2006155 Work Hours per Week at IL Min. Wage to Afford 2BR, FMR, 2006156
33% 26% 28% 20% 21% 26% 24% 19% 23% 25% 44% 24% 23% 20% 20% 38% 42% 20% 18% 40% 25% 23% 24% 25% 19% 24% 20% 24% 22% 24% 19% 24% 28%
$829 $507 $507 $507 $635 $507 $549 $670 $546 $507 $633 $507 $507 $507 $670 $539 $935 $507 $527 $776 $509 $527 $935 $507 $507 $537 $507 $633 $507 $507 $507 $510 $807
$13.24 $8.70 $6.08 $7.32 $11.77 $8.60 $10.24 $6.74 $8.67 $9.02 $8.31 $7.74 $8.47 $8.94 $7.12 $6.34 $16.05 $11.02 $6.41 $8.58 $10.72 $8.76 $14.62 $8.16 $8.30 $8.66 $7.44 $9.02 $6.94 $6.69 $6.94 $7.85 $13.82
$689 $452 $316 $380 $612 $447 $533 $351 $451 $469 $432 $403 $440 $465 $370 $330 $834 $573 $333 $446 $557 $455 $760 $424 $432 $450 $387 $469 $361 $348 $361 $408 $719
$15.95 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $12.21 $9.75 $10.56 $12.88 $10.50 $9.75 $12.17 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $12.88 $10.37 $17.98 $9.75 $10.13 $14.92 $9.79 $10.13 $17.98 $9.75 $9.75 $10.33 $9.75 $12.17 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $9.81 $15.52
245% 150% 150% 15% 188% 150% 162% 198% 162% 150% 187% 150% 150% 150% 198% 159% 277% 150% 156% 230% 151% 156% 277% 150% 150% 159% 150% 187% 150% 150% 150% 151% 239%
98 60 60 60 75 60 65 79 65 60 75 60 60 60 79 64 111 60 62 92 60 62 111 60 60 64 60 75 60 60 60 60 96
National Low Income Housing Coalition. (2006). Out of reach 2006. Washington DC: Author. Ibid. Ibid. 153 Ibid. 154 Ibid. 155 Ibid. 156 Ibid.
150 151 152
44
Appendix
Housing (continued)
150 151 152
33% 19% 20% 20% 21% 21% 24% 47% 17% 25% 22% 23% 15% 24% 31% 16% 28% 22% 25% 23% 26% 26% 29% 28% 21% 26% 23% 20% 23% 21% 37% 17% 34% 21% 20% 20%
$829 $507 $507 $507 $507 $592 $507 $526 $507 $530 $670 $507 $507 $935 $705 $911 $536 $935 $594 $507 $538 $580 $519 $550 $507 $670 $507 $604 $507 $507 $507 $935 $644 $596 $592 $670
$13.24 $6.24 $8.19 $6.82 $6.88 $8.08 $8.80 $6.09 $7.82 $8.79 $6.24 $7.05 $5.24 $10.20 $9.53 $11.35 $7.62 $12.72 $9.63 $9.32 $9.74 $10.33 $8.75 $10.47 $8.26 $9.34 $6.68 $8.24 $7.97 $9.29 $5.21 $9.88 $11.04 $5.96 $7.54 $8.45
$689 $325 $426 $355 $358 $420 $458 $317 $407 $457 $324 $366 $273 $531 $496 $590 $396 $662 $501 $484 $507 $537 $455 $544 $430 $486 $348 $428 $415 $483 $271 $514 $574 $310 $392 $439
$15.95 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $11.38 $9.75 $10.12 $9.75 $10.19 $12.88 $9.75 $9.75 $17.98 $13.56 $17.52 $10.31 $17.98 $11.42 $9.75 $10.35 $11.15 $9.98 $10.58 $9.75 $12.88 $9.75 $11.62 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $17.98 $12.38 $11.46 $11.38 $12.88
245% 150% 150% 150% 150% 175% 150% 156% 150% 157% 198% 150% 150% 277% 209% 270% 159% 277% 176% 150% 159% 172% 154% 163% 150% 198% 150% 179% 150% 150% 150% 277% 191% 176% 175% 198%
98 60 60 60 60 70 60 62 60 63 79 60 60 111 83 108 63 111 70 60 64 69 61 65 60 79 60 71 60 60 60 111 76 71 70 79
Appendix
45
Housing (continued)
150 151 152
33% 22% 30% 22% 25% 32% 21% 20% 23% 18% 24% 17% 21% 23% 30% 23% 30% 21% 22% 19% 33% 23% 25% 24% 25% 28% 25% 25% 19% 21% 22% 26% 17% 26% 30% 17%
$829 $507 $545 $518 $599 $604 $507 $633 $507 $507 $507 $526 $507 $507 $592 $507 $596 $507 $510 $507 $670 $604 $585 $604 $507 $539 $507 $507 $507 $507 $507 $562 $935 $507 $635 $604
$13.24 $8.26 $7.94 $9.69 $11.28 $10.63 $7.54 $8.91 $7.20 $4.66 $7.44 $11.98 $9.13 $7.18 $10.80 $8.38 $9.75 $11.93 $12.17 $7.72 $9.53 $9.23 $9.75 $12.54 $6.04 $9.13 $6.53 $8.71 $10.26 $7.65 $7.82 $8.14 $9.36 $7.48 $10.01 $8.54
$689 $430 $413 $504 $587 $553 $392 $463 $375 $242 $387 $623 $475 $373 $562 $436 $507 $620 $633 $401 $496 $480 $507 $652 $314 $475 $340 $453 $534 $398 $407 $423 $487 $389 $521 $444
$15.95 $9.75 $10.48 $9.96 $11.52 $11.62 $9.75 $12.17 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $10.12 $9.75 $9.75 $11.38 $9.75 $11.46 $9.75 $9.81 $9.75 $12.88 $11.62 $11.25 $11.62 $9.75 $10.37 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $9.75 $10.81 $17.98 $9.75 $12.21 $11.62
245% 150% 161% 153% 177% 179% 150% 187% 150% 150% 150% 156% 150% 150% 175% 150% 176% 150% 151% 150% 198% 179% 173% 179% 150% 159% 150% 150% 150% 150% 150% 166% 277% 150% 188% 179%
98 60 65 61 71 71 60 75 60 60 60 62 60 60 70 60 71 60 60 60 79 71 69 71 60 64 60 60 60 60 60 67 111 60 75 71
46
Appendix
Health & Education

County ISBE High School Grad Rate for LowIncome Students, 2005-2006157 Point Change in Grad Rate for LowIncome Students from Previous Year158 Percent of Children Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches, 2006159 Point Change in Percent of Children Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches, 2000 to 2006160 Percentage of Babies Born Low Birth Weight, 2004161 Children Enrolled in KidCare/All Kids and Medicaid, 2005162 Percent Change Children Enrolled in KidCare/All Kids and Medicaid, 2000 to 2005163
157 158 159
76.5% 79.3% 89.2% 71.1% 86.7% 100.0% 85.5% 92.3% 61.2% 88.9% 78.6% 69.0% 97.1% 88.5% 63.1% 82.4% 73.9% 87.5% 95.7% 86.1% 89.2% 100.0% 89.4% 92.0% 100.0% 85.5% 84.1% 76.1% 93.0% 79.4% 100.0% 67.7% 96.2%
0.7% 7.5% 0.5% -22.0% 13.5% 18.2% 25.7% 31.2% -6.6% -11.1% 2.0% -8.6% -0.7% 3.7% 17.1% 12.0% -1.6% 26.2% 1.3% 9.9% 26.2% 28.1% 0.1% -8.0% 18.2% 2.8% -2.7% 15.5% 2.0% 11.1% 0.0% 8.7% 7.3%
45.5% 36.6% 79.8% 33.9% 28.8% 36.1% 33.0% 34.2% 35.3% 51.6% 37.0% 39.3% 36.7% 39.2% 20.9% 36.7% 63.2% 37.1% 30.6% 20.6% 35.4% 23.6% 19.1% 38.5% 28.2% 25.3% 45.0% 31.7% 49.5% 45.5% 47.9% 39.8% 15.6%
4.0% 1.4% 1.3% 5.0% 10.2% 11.6% 9.1% 11.2% 7.8% 12.3% 5.6% 9.5% 11.1% 6.4% 1.7% 8.6% 2.5% 7.6% 8.2% 8.3% 12.7% 6.2% 7.2% 8.3% -0.5% 3.2% 10.9% 12.3% 9.5% 8.7% 4.5% 4.6% 3.5%
8.4% 6.4% 10.3% 6.2% 9.0% 10.7% 7.1% 9.8% 5.3% 6.1% 7.7% 8.5% 9.0% 8.8% 4.3% 7.7% 8.4% 6.3% 3.3% 7.5% 7.4% 7.1% 6.5% 3.6% 15.9% 4.0% 9.2% 6.0% 7.5% 6.5% 16.9% 9.3% 5.7%
1,153,271 5,498 1,637 1,309 3,312 N/A 2,590 329 1,270 1,258 13,199 3,232 1,637 1,436 1,757 3,694 635,759 1,620 899 4,672 1,404 1,422 35,355 1,719 487 2,745 2,230 929 4,513 3,348 655 1,403 1,996
30.5% 19.5% 7.1% 49.8% 106.4% N/A 65.4% 104.3% 37.7% 51.7% 48.3% 42.3% 49.8% 49.4% 40.7% 47.7% 19.0% 29.6% 20.8% 65.5% 44.0% 89.6% 116.9% 39.8% 18.8% 45.5% 43.0% 47.9% 35.2% 31.3% 13.5% 41.1% 98.6%
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author. Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Nutrition programs, Free and Reduced-Price Meal eligibility data. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.isbe.state.il.us/nutrition/htmls/eligibility_listings.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 160 Ibid. 161 Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Policy, Planning & Statistics. (2006, October 18). Vital records, resident birth file. On file with author. 162 Voices for Illinois Children. (2006). Illinois Kids Count searchable database. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.voices4kids.org/illinoiskidscount.htm 163 Voices for Illinois Children. (2006). Illinois Kids Count searchable database. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.voices4kids.org/illinoiskidscount.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
Appendix
47
Health & Education (continued)

County ISBE High School Grad Rate for LowIncome Students, 2005-2006157
Point Change in Grad Rate for LowIncome Students from Previous Year158
Percent of Children Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches, 2006159
Point Change in Percent of Children Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches, 2000 to 2006160
Percentage of Babies Born Low Birth Weight, 2004161
Children Enrolled in KidCare/All Kids and Medicaid, 2005162
Percent Change Children Enrolled in KidCare/All Kids and Medicaid, 2000 to 2005163
157
76.5% 100.0% 87.9% 100.0% 44.0% 93.2% 73.1% 73.8% 90.0% 59.0% 100.0% 84.4% 100.0% 78.5% 75.8% 91.7% 69.1% 88.2% 80.9% 87.0% 72.7% 84.5% 71.1% 65.2% 80.2% 87.0% 66.5% 100.0% 82.0% 80.8% 100.0% 76.4% 84.2% 100.0% 91.3% 78.6%
0.7% 6.2% -10.6% 0.0% -56.0% 0.8% 8.9% -13.5% -10.0% -29.9% 35.3% -3.4% 20.4% 24.0% 4.6% 3.8% -7.0% -1.9% 10.5% 17.8% -9.2% 4.3% 13.7% 9.4% -4.6% -0.4% -7.1% 29.0% -6.7% 21.5% 26.5% 3.5% 6.8% 38.5% 6.7% 11.9%
45.5% 42.2% 37.5% 56.0% 41.0% 29.6% 35.1% 48.4% 37.4% 40.7% 30.3% 25.3% 44.4% 36.6% 43.2% 11.5% 47.7% 45.4% 45.4% 43.5% 29.8% 28.5% 31.8% 43.2% 32.6% 31.8% 49.1% 33.8% 38.7% 48.3% 41.1% 13.0% 26.6% 20.6% 28.2% 9.9%
4.0% 9.7% 7.4% 6.6% 6.5% 6.1% 5.2% 6.0% 7.7% 3.8% 7.2% 6.6% 9.6% 9.0% 5.3% 5.0% 14.1% 21.7% 20.5% 5.9% 8.6% 5.0% 8.3% 5.8% 9.2% 2.0% 11.7% 10.0% 7.2% 9.6% 8.3% 4.5% 4.5% 0.1% 4.6% 3.6%
8.4% 14.8% 5.9% 10.3% 6.5% 4.5% 6.8% 6.9% 3.7% 8.2% 5.7% 6.3% 8.5% 7.3% 8.9% 9.1% 7.5% 7.7% 5.7% 7.7% 7.5% 9.4% 4.5% 10.1% 7.0% 9.4% 10.5% 5.9% 10.5% 7.3% 8.8% 7.2% 8.2% 5.2% 3.2% 5.1%
1,153,271 781 1,485 435 N/A 3,371 2,466 5,243 846 4,200 1,407 1,127 1,005 41,363 9,988 2,447 5,295 35,297 8,109 1,258 N/A 2,683 2,370 11,584 3,890 20,042 4,720 967 1,594 1,668 2,039 9,471 9,039 828 1,182 572
30.5% 18.5% 37.4% 39.0% N/A 28.3% 54.5% 18.2% 22.4% 18.3% 46.0% 35.8% 36.2% 99.1% 16.4% 139.7% 48.7% 1272.9% -66.7% 16.4% N/A 51.4% 52.4% 26.3% 47.6% 22.3% 23.3% 56.2% 36.6% 33.7% 28.3% 122.1% 53.0% 20.2% 21.7% 47.4%
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author. 158 Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 159 Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Nutrition programs, Free and Reduced-Price Meal eligibility data. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.isbe.state.il.us/nutrition/htmls/eligibility_listings.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 160 Ibid. 161 Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Policy, Planning & Statistics. (2006, October 18). Vital records, resident birth file. On file with author. 162 Voices for Illinois Children. (2006). Illinois Kids Count searchable database. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.voices4kids.org/illinoiskidscount.htm 163 Voices for Illinois Children. (2006). Illinois Kids Count searchable database. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.voices4kids.org/illinoiskidscount.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
48
County
Appendix
Health & Education (continued)

ISBE High School Grad Rate for LowIncome Students, 2005-2006157
Point Change in Grad Rate for LowIncome Students from Previous Year158
Percent of Children Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches, 2006159
Point Change in Percent of Children Eligible for Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches, 2000 to 2006160
Percentage of Babies Born Low Birth Weight, 2004161
Children Enrolled in KidCare/All Kids and Medicaid, 2005162
Percent Change Children Enrolled in KidCare/All Kids and Medicaid, 2000 to 2005163
157
76.5% 75.9% 83.3% 100.0% 82.2% 84.1% 74.3% 85.7% 90.1% 61.5% 100.0% 66.7% 88.1% 97.6% 87.0% 91.0% 81.0% 75.9% 77.8% 95.7% 80.3% 100.0% 75.3% 96.0% 66.7% 58.8% 66.7% 84.0% 92.9% 96.0% 77.8% 73.5% 81.9% 96.0% 65.1% 97.5%
0.7% 0.9% -4.7% 23.8% 1.4% -1.5% 13.9% 9.2% 7.8% -13.5% 0.0% -20.8% 13.9% 0.3% 20.6% 0.4% -4.0% -9.8% -22.2% 13.2% -2.7% 26.7% 10.4% 18.3% -10.7% -3.0% -10.2% 23.5% 21.5% -4.0% -0.6% -4.6% 8.7% 13.6% -4.1% 9.6%
45.5% 37.2% 40.3% 28.8% 22.8% 40.3% 32.5% 20.6% 37.7% 50.6% 80.4% 24.8% 32.8% 41.5% 42.6% 47.5% 45.4% 44.4% 33.0% 34.0% 39.6% 35.4% 39.3% 27.0% 46.7% 49.4% 29.5% 40.0% 21.3% 39.6% 39.0% 33.7% 25.3% 39.4% 50.9% 18.6%
4.0% 7.4% 9.1% 9.4% 8.8% 2.1% 4.2% 3.1% 5.8% 16.6% -3.7% 1.3% 5.8% 5.5% 7.3% 11.9% 11.6% 10.7% 7.8% 7.0% 0.5% 19.1% 9.1% 6.1% 4.8% 9.3% 6.2% 7.8% 3.6% 6.0% 0.9% 7.6% 3.2% 1.1% 11.7% 4.7%
8.4% 9.3% 7.4% 5.7% 7.0% 8.3% 6.1% 9.5% 8.2% 7.1% 12.9% 9.4% 10.1% 13.6% 7.2% 9.0% 9.0% 7.6% 9.8% 10.5% 9.5% 12.9% 8.9% 6.9% 6.8% 9.0% 4.3% 5.7% 6.5% 8.7% 8.3% 6.6% 7.7% 8.3% 9.5% 8.0%
1,153,271 2,640 2,948 931 5,410 19,353 1,874 821 1,490 404 1,050 311 2,750 1,518 13,327 2,960 16,977 838 387 1,730 28,914 510 4,087 9,084 1,844 9,932 1,059 2,077 747 1,626 1,340 4,908 29,790 6,088 27,802 1,708
30.5% 18.8% 51.4% 75.7% 186.1% 29.6% 40.8% 54.3% 26.0% 59.1% 1.2% 28.5% 60.3% 20.9% 39.3% 26.3% 39.4% 157.8% 21.3% 53.0% 7.9% 58.9% 45.1% 62.4% 16.4% 37.1% 17.9% 80.5% 46.5% 40.7% 36.9% 61.2% 60.2% 31.5% 50.5% 86.1%
Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author. 158 Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 State school report cards. Springfield, IL: Author, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 159 Illinois State Board of Education. (n.d.). Nutrition programs, Free and Reduced-Price Meal eligibility data. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.isbe.state.il.us/nutrition/htmls/eligibility_listings.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance. 160 Ibid. 161 Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Policy, Planning & Statistics. (2006, October 18). Vital records, resident birth file. On file with author. 162 Voices for Illinois Children. (2006). Illinois Kids Count searchable database. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.voices4kids.org/illinoiskidscount.htm 163 Voices for Illinois Children. (2006). Illinois Kids Count searchable database. Retrieved December 6, 2006, from http://www.voices4kids.org/illinoiskidscount.htm, calculation conducted by the Mid-America Institute on Poverty of Heartland Alliance.
Definitions and Data Notes
49

Definitions
consumer Purchasing Power: The value of money measured by the quantity and quality of the goods and services it can buy. crowded housing: A housing unit is considered crowded if there is more than 1 person per room. The ratio of occupants per room is derived by dividing the number of persons in the housing unit by the number of rooms in the housing unit.
165 164
Disability: A long-lasting physical, mental, or emotional condition that can make it difficult for a person to do activities such as walking, climbing stairs, dressing, bathing, learning, or remembering. This condition can also impede a person from being able to go outside the home alone or to work.
166
fair market rent: Fair Market Rents (FMRs) are used to determine the eligibility of rental housing units for Section 8 Housing Assistance. For a more detailed explanation of their uses and how they are calculated, see http://www.huduser.org/datasets/fmr/ fmrover.doc food Insecurity: An individual and/or family is considered food insecure if they ran out of food or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food or the individual/family worried about running out of money for food. household net Worth: This is the difference between household assets and household liabilities.
167
168
human rights: Universal rights belonging to individuals by virtue of their being human. Human rights encompass civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights and freedoms and are based on the notion of personal human dignity and worth. Poverty: See page 8. rent-burdened or owner-burdened households (unaffordable housing): Households are rent burdened when they spend over 30% of their income for housing. Renter costs include contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.) if these are paid by the renter (or paid for the renter by someone else). Owner costs include the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including payment for the first mortgage, second mortgage, home equity loans, and other junior mortgages); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities (electricity, gas, water, and sewer); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes, where appropriate, the monthly condominium fees or mobile home fees.
169
structural Deficit: An economic term used to describe a situation where a states tax revenue scheme, including types of tax, rates, and base (that is, items subject to a particular tax) will not bring in enough money to continue funding current service levels, when changing economic and demographic conditions are considered.
170
Investorwords.com. (n.d.). Purchasing power. Retrieved November 17, 2006, from http://www.investorwords.com/3959/purchasing_power.html Annie E. Casey Foundation. (n.d.). Kids Count state-level data online. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/profile_results.jsp?r=15&d=1&c=a&n=1&p=5&x=163&y=11 U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Disability. Retrieved December 21, 2006, from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability/disability.html 167 Long, S. (2003, May). Hardship among the uninsured: Choosing among food, housing and health insurance. (Policy Brief/NSAF No.B-54). Washington DC: Urban Institute. 168 CFED. (2007). Net worth of households. Retrieved January 2, 2007, from http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?showmeasures=1&parentid=&siteid=504&id=509&measureid=2840 169 U.S. Census Bureau. (2006). American Community Survey and Puerto Rico Community Survey: 2005 subject definitions. Washington DC: Author. 170 Martire, R.M. (2005). Fiscal system basics. Chicago: Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.
164 165 166
50
Data Notes
American community survey (Acs): The Census Bureaus American Community Survey is used for single-year estimates of poverty, for comparisons between the nation and states, and for comparison of states with each other. For more information on the ACS visit http://www.census.gov/acs/www/ current Population survey (cPs): The Census Bureaus Current Population Survey March Supplement/Annual Social and Economic Supplement is used to track Illinois poverty rates over time. The Census Bureau recommends using a 2-year floating average when analyzing state poverty rates over time due to the small sample size of the CPS; this increases confidence in the estimates. The CPS is also used for health insurance data and for cross tabulations that are not available through the ACS. For more information about the CPS visit http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm small Area Income and Poverty estimates (sAIPe): The Census Bureaus Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates are used for county poverty rates. The SAIPEs calculations include information from the CPS, the 2000 Census, unemployment rates, and other economic indicators to estimate levels of poverty in counties and school districts. The most recent SAIPE data were released in 2006 and included poverty rates for 2004. For more information about the SAIPE visit http://www.census.gov/hhes/ www/saipe/ high school Graduation rate calculations: There are two methods of calculating high school graduation rates. The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) uses one, and the other involves a methodology developed by Greene and Forster (2003).
171
The graduation rates reported in the Education section and the County Well-Being Indicators section were provided by the Illinois State Board of Education and are derived from the School Report Cards. The ISBE method of calculating graduation rates excludes students who transfer out of the school and into alternative schools, which results in inflated graduation rates. The alternate high school graduation rate methodology is believed to be the most valid method of calculating graduation rates and utilizes data obtained from the Common Core of Data, National Center for Education Statistics. This method entails averaging the 8th grade enrollment from 5 years prior to a graduating class, the 9th grade enrollment from 4 years earlier, and the 10th grade enrollment from 3 years earlier to create a baseline. It then takes into account any changes in enrollment by adjusting the baseline number (the average number created in the previous step) with the changes in high school overall enrollment. Then the number of graduates is divided by this adjusted, averaged number. The resulting percentage is the graduation rate. Unfortunately this method could not be used to derive recent graduation rates for Illinois because there is not updated data available through the Common Core of Data. race and ethnicity: The terms Hispanic and Black are used instead of Latino and African American in racial and ethnic discussions because these are the categories the U.S. Census Bureau uses.
171
Green, J.P., & Forster, G. (2003). High school graduation and college readiness rates in the United States. Education Working Paper, 3. Retrieved December 21, 2006, from http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/ewp_03.htm
2007 Policy Recommendations
51
llinois has taken important positive steps to address poverty: an increase in the states minimum wage, a new Rental Housing Support program that makes housing more affordable across Illinois, and an expansion of health insurance for all children in Illinois. Illinois is poised to build upon this foundation and expand opportunities to ensure that more Illinoisans move out of poverty. The following policy recommendations present key opportunities in 2007 for state leaders to strengthen communities in Illinois by significantly reducing hardship and poverty.
52

reduce extreme poverty to protect the most vulnerable Illinoisans from living in destitute conditions:
Hold statewide legislative hearings to inform a plan for reducing by half the number of Illinoisans living in extreme poverty by 2015. Protect more families from living in poverty by increasing the level of the monthly cash assistance grant to equal 100% of the poverty line. Invest in emergency food, shelter, and supportive housing programs to help people who are homeless or at severe risk of homelessness achieve stability.
Increase investment in healthcare, human services, and affordable housing to reach more people in need:
Develop a plan to ensure healthcare for all people in Illinois. Reform Illinois tax system so state revenues support both the current level of public services and address growing unmet needs. Strengthen communities abilities to respond to rising costs of providing services through a cost of doing business adjustment for human services programs. Generate new funding for affordable housing by reforming the real estate transfer tax.
Improve training opportunities and income supports for low-wage workers so that full-time workers do not live in poverty:
Expand transitional and vocational job programs to ensure that the lowest-skilled job seekers can obtain and retain employment. Ensure low-wage workers eligible for government benefits can easily use these services through simplified application and enrollment procedures and increased points of access in the community. Expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit program so low-income workers can keep more of their earnings.
create asset building opportunities to ensure long-term financial security for families:
Increase family asset building by developing a state plan for universal childrens savings accounts, ensuring every child born in Illinois can save for a more secure financial future.
The Illinois Poverty Summit
The Illinois Poverty Summit was established in 2000 to develop strategies to eliminate poverty in Illinois. Poverty in Illinois has a wide reach touching women, children, teens, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families.
The Illinois Poverty Summit: develops bipartisan support for strategic priorities to eliminate poverty in Illinois; analyzes current poverty data and serves as an information source on trends impacting the states economic health; and convenes legislators and other key civic leaders to determine the most effective use of state and federal anti-poverty resources and to develop new anti-poverty strategies.
Four precepts guide the Illinois Poverty Summit: People who work full time should not live in poverty. All people who can work should be given the tools to work toward their fullest potential. A safety net should be provided for those who cannot work. Eliminating poverty is an investment in Illinois future.
Illinois Poverty Summit Steering Committee
Co-chairs
U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin (D) U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R)
Civic and Corporate Leaders

Ben Applegate Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen Peggy Arizzi Catholic Charities of Peoria
Elected Officials
State Representative Patricia Bellock (R) State Senator James Clayborne (D) State Representative Elizabeth Coulson (R) State Senator William Delgado (D) State Representative Sara Feigenholtz (D) State Representative Constance Howard (D) State Senator Mattie Hunter (D) State Representative Naomi Jakobsson (D) State Senator David Luechtefeld (R) State Senator Iris Martinez (D) Mayor Rita Mullins, Palatine State Representative Sandra Pihos (R) State Senator Christine Radogno (R) State Senator Dale Righter (R) State Representative Aaron Schock (R)
John Bouman Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law Mary Ellen Caron Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services Joe Dunn Illinois Coalition for Community Service Paul Kleppner Northern Illinois University Anne Ladky Women Employed E. Hoy McConnell,II Business and Professional People for the Public Interest Pam Molitoris Central Illinois Foodbank Al Sharp Protestants for the Common Good Jerry Stermer Voices for Illinois Children David Whittaker Chicago Area Project Paula Wolff Chicago Metropolis 2020
Illinois Poverty Summit c/o Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights 4411 North Ravenswood Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60640 Ph 773.336.6075 Fx 773.506.6649 maip@heartlandalliance.org

Illinois Poverty Report 2007

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Creating a State of Opportunity

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

Table of Contents Key Findings State Poverty Profile

New! 2007 Policy Recommendations

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

Economic inequality in Illinois continues to worsen.

Cook County, Illinois has the

second-highest number of millionaire

higher median net worth

second-highest number of poor

Net worth is the difference between assets and liabilities.

Gap Between Black and White

+$8,853 middle fifth of families

+$41,689 richest fifth of families

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

status of young adults ages 18 to 29 in Illinois: More than

young Illinois adults lack health insurance,

Annual Personal earnings

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

Nearly 700,000 Illinoisans struggle in extreme poverty.

90% 60% 30% 0

Illinois Adults Ages 18 to 64 without health Insurance12 In extreme poverty

Illinoisans living in extreme poverty are nearly

three times as likely

not in extreme poverty

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

Infrastructure will be Weakened:

Public Debt will Grow:

State Poverty Profile

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

State Poverty Profile

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

State Poverty Profile

federal Poverty Guidelines, or 100% fPL22

$ 10,210 13,690 17,170 20,650 24,130 27,610 31,090 34,570

$ 9,800 13,200 16,600 20,000 23,400 26,800 30,200 33,600

$ 9,570 12,830 16,090 19,350 22,610 25,870 29,130 32,390

$ 9,310 12,490 15,670 18,850 22,030 25,210 28,390 31,570

State Poverty Profile

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

State Poverty Rates

or 5.5% of Illinoisans are living in extreme poverty, below

50% of the federal poverty threshold.

100% of the federal poverty threshold.

150% of the federal poverty threshold.

or 28.0% of Illinoisans are living near poverty, below

200% of the federal poverty threshold.

Illinois Poverty rates over time*25

30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

State Poverty Profile

State Poverty Map, All Ages in Poverty, 2004

ROCK ISLAND MERCER

STARK KNOX WARREN HENDERSON PEORIA

DOUGLAS EDGAR COLES CLARK CUMBERLAND

number of People in Poverty

LAWRENCE WABASH EDWARDS

ST. CLAIR WASHINGTON MONROE RANDOLPH PERRY FRANKLIN JACKSON JEFFERSON

State Poverty Profile

2007 Report on Illinois Poverty

Midwest Poverty Comparison

median household Income28